


Mirror, Mirror

by LuckyBullet



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-29
Updated: 2014-08-21
Packaged: 2018-01-17 11:57:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 64,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1386778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyBullet/pseuds/LuckyBullet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if RWBY was set in an alternate universe in which everything and everyone was the polar opposite of what they were in the show? Join me as I explore exactly how the plot of RWBY might have played out in an AU where such things like Yang being socially awkward, Nora not being insane, Jaune being a badass and Ruby and Weiss being sisters are all actual things. Enjoy! (AU, OOC)</p><p>FF.Net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10224236/1/Mirror-Mirror</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this was an idea planted in my head by discussion on both the RT forums and the RWBY wikia. Basically a parallel universe in which everyone and almost everything is the polar opposite of what it is in the actual show. You may not like the characterisation of some characters (Velvet, Blake and Cardin spring to mind) but nevertheless I hope everyone enjoys this little experiment. A quick shoutout to Slayer-One for all the help with planning and organising ideas, and Dust-117 for his input as well.

**Chapter 1: Arrival**

Beacon Academy, it was the most prestigious combat school in all of Vale, and was even amongst the most respected in all of Vytal, it had conditioned countless generations of heroes and hunters that were now depicted in legends and fairy tales; those that sought a more disciplined life became prominent figures in Vale's military and all who did make it through the rigorous training process were heralded as the best of the best that Vale had to offer.

The school itself was a sight to behold, a towering bastille of black, grey and white ore that cast a great shadow over the breath-taking gardens that surrounded it. Red flags flew proudly, caught by the gentle breeze and numerous street lamps lined the courtyard, presently unlit as dictated by the time of day. The world renowned Beacon Tower stood proudly in amongst the massive buildings that made up Beacon Academy, dwarfing even the most prominent, its bright flame forever burning as if extinguishment would lead to an unforgiving and unrelenting darkness being cast over the kingdom; nature condemning humans and faunus alike to the abyss.

The air was crisp, clean and carrying the faint intoxicated hybrid aroma of sweetness, spice and peppermint from the kitchen that prepared the welcome dinner and the weather was fair, the sun high in the sky radiating a warm glow that the students basked in; a cool breeze preventing the heat of the sun from becoming overwhelming.

Yang however did not have the opportunity to enjoy these fresh, new experiences as she rushed off of the airship, a mortified look on her face as she rushed to the nearest trashcan that lay out of sight of the other students and proceeded to hurl once more. _Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, could this day GET any worse?_ She asked herself as she reviewed the events of the still new day. For the first time in sixty seven weeks she had slept in, in her ditzy hurry she had nearly forgotten her enrolment papers and her ticket and when she did finally make it to the transport jet she realised that she had never flown before, at least not in a jet. The feeling of ground actually moving beneath her brought feelings of nausea and resulted in a flight-long battle with her stomach which she lost, succumbing to motion sickness and vomiting down the front of the one guy that had tried speaking with her.

She hoped vainly as she wiped her mouth of the residual mess that he, Jaune she remembered his name as-though of course you don't forget meeting someone as well known as Jaune Arc-was the ONLY person to have bared witness to such an embarrassment and that he would never mention it again.

Peering up from the bin situated behind an untrimmed, overgrown bush she spied two girls in the centre of a courtyard; briefcases were strewn about everywhere, vials of dust rolling aimlessly on the floor. The smaller of the girls, an adorable looking redhead in a black combat skirt with red trim, a red hood, black tights that faded to a reddish-brown as they neared her matching black and red boots and adorned with few accessories she couldn't quite make out from this distance was apologising profusely the other.

Yang double checked herself, ensuring no evidence of her past ten minutes of personal hell were present before walking out from behind the bush. She got a closer look at the other girl, an almost porcelain beauty wearing a dress similar to the redhead only a pristine bluish white in colour with a belt pulling it tight. Clasped to the white fabric seemed to be a small bag of similar colour with a custom made button in the shape of a snowflake holding it closed.

Her face was pale, her eyes blue, and her hair also ivory in colour-even the pair of cat ears that lay perched on the top of her head nestled between her styled locks of hair were white. The only traces of a contrasting colour were the red velvet that laced the underside of her extremely pale blue bolero jacket. She looked older than the redhead, and judging by the roles each played she likely was.

"Weiss, I'm really, really sorry!" the redhead repeated for the umpteenth time to the girl Yang would now call Weiss if she ever spoke to her. _Remember to ask her name first though, she'd think you were a total weirdo if you just managed to guess a name such as that and you don't want that… or a stalker, you definitely don't want that._

The white-haired girl placed a reassuring hand on the redhead's shoulder. "Calm down Ruby, it's fine, it's just a little wasted dust, father won't care." She drew the girl into a tight hug, which the redhead now known to Yang as Ruby reciprocated in kind squeezing the ivory girl tighter as she settled into the embrace.

"I know but… it's your dust, you need it for the initiation…" the redhead maintained, apologising a few more times. _Wow this girl is as awkward as I am…_ Yang was now watching the two with intent, shyly using the gardens that surrounded her to obscure her form, she'd never live it down if the two girls suddenly noticed her spying.

"Ruby, you do remember that our family owns the Schnee Dust Company right?" Weiss asked her sister rhetorically, a wide, warm smile on her face. "I'll have plenty of dust for initiation, daddy will just have to send more sooner than expected, you understand?" Ruby gave a small nod, nuzzling slightly into the collar bone of who Yang now assumed was her older sister. "Now are you going to cheer up? I hate seeing you frown…" the younger girl nodded again. "Good, then let's help Franz and Marcus pick up this mess." she gave her sister a kiss on the top of her head, her lips nestling in between a pair of dark grey wolf ears, her nose lightly flicking against the soft appendages for a few moments before she pulled back away.

 _So they're the Schnee sisters…_ Yang thought to herself as she paid closer attention to the pairs of animal ears poking out of their respective hairstyles. _I thought Weiss's parents were both white lion Faunus? Maybe Ruby's actually a half-_ Yang was pulled out of her thoughts by a soft, sweet, curious voice "Hello, are you okay there?" she sounded so innocent, so young, and then she realised who it was, her face flushing red as the girl named Ruby dashed over.

"Hellooo, Remnant to blonde girl, are you okay?"

She wasn't, Yang's mind was racing, every thought going through her mind BUT how to greet the girl that was now stood in front of her waving her arms in her face in an attempt to snap her back to reality. _Oh no they saw me, how do I explain this to them? "Hi, I'm Yang; I'm the bear Faunus that was spying on you just a few seconds ago. Do you like invading privacy too?"_ Of course regardless of how awkwardly funny Yang found the response she'd never have the confidence to say that, in fact right now she was doing nothing but mumbling incoherently earning a quizzical look from the redhead as her sister strutted over.

"Is everything okay sis?" asked the heiress to the Schnee fortune.

Ruby scanned Yang's face once more, searching for any sign that she wasn't having a panic attack… or currently failing to impersonate a statue. "I… don't know." The teen finally admitted clicking her fingers in front of the blonde's face, the odd blonde blinking twice before gulping as the sisters finally got her attention. "Hi, I'm Ruby." She said reaching out a hand, offering a handshake to Yang "And you are?"

"Uh…" Yang opened her mouth to speak, nerves racking her body rendering her quite literally speechless. "Umm…" Yang could feel herself growing hotter and hotter, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Ah…" finally she settled on her oldest defense mechanism: Running away. In an instant the blonde had disappeared leaving Ruby alone with her sister once again, her out-stretched hand now only offering thin air a handshake.

"Strange girl…" commented her sister off-handedly as Ruby lowered her right hand.

"I wouldn't call it strange, maybe nervous? I think she needs a friend or two, don't you?" she noted with a smile. Those last two words weren't even a question, it was entirely rhetorical and Weiss, even if she didn't want to befriend the strange blonde, knew better than to even try and deny her sister something she'd set her mind to. Those eyes and that smile would let her get away with murder, she cringed at the thought. Pushing away such anxiety inducing thought processes she rolled her eyes and let a smile of her own appear.

Before Weiss could agree to Ruby's already made up mind the duo heard the tell-tale clacking of footsteps on the pavement behind them. Spinning on the spot they found themselves face to face with a stunning girl, practically radiating beauty and walking with a swagger. A single vial of light blue dust lay clutched within her right hand which she handed over immediately once she was close enough to do so. Ruby noted the distance between the human-looking girl and her sister, accepting the dust vial for her much to Weiss's chagrin.

"Thanks." Ruby said dryly, her free hand popping open Weiss's small bag and dropping in the extra vial before buttoning it back up. "What's your name?"

The pale girl studiously inspected Ruby's own form, fiery amber eyes soaking up every last detail. Ruby clearly did not trust her right now, her left hand had now returned to her waist though was displaced slightly; she could grab hold of her weapon in the blink of an eye if the situation demanded it. Her body had moved closer to Weiss's, her own overlapping with the lion Faunus's ever-so-slightly. It was not enough to convey dominance or coercion but still enough that she could easily block any attempt at harming Weiss's flesh with her own. The black-haired girl finally answered the girl's innocent and harmless question "Blake."

"Are you a… human?" Ruby asked cautiously, it sounded like more of a challenge to Blake.

"Snake faunus actually…" she returned in kind, the redhead visibly relaxed. All the smaller, barely noticeable changes in stance evaporating-her shoulders even slouched a little. Blake would remember that, though she could hardly blame Ruby for such edginess, humanity were well-documented as being incredibly violent, attempting to overcome their lesser status by subduing the superior Faunus race. It was only half a decade ago that the Black Tooth had started attempting diplomacy after their seventh consecutive failed coup attempted.

Blake found a smile crossing her face, as it dawned on her exactly how clueless the Black Tooth had been to attempt the same endeavour time after time, no wonder they continually failed. Ruby took a step forward, offering Blake a handshake in much the same way she offered the bear Faunus earlier "Well, I'm-"

Blake cut her off, her eyes narrowing slightly, the conversation was beginning to drag on, not that she hated conversation, in fact she was very social and would have been if she wasn't starving and could smell the taste of duck filling the air. "I know who you are, your Ruby Rose." She turned to face the white-haired girl whom looked visibly annoyed at her sister's overbearing. "And this is Weiss Schnee. You are the daughters of the president of the Schnee Dust Company." Weiss's eyes lit up slightly, the happiness quickly dying as Blake continued. "Can't say I particularly care though…"

Weiss's face dropped something that did not go unnoticed by her sister. "What's your problem?" Ruby spat almost venomously.

Blake turned slightly snarky, sarcasm evident in her tone. "Nothing, you two are lovely, and I'd love to stand here all day and be regaled with tales of your perfect lives." Ruby's teeth gritted together, something that amused Blake. "But I have to run, that feast isn't going to eat itself…" And with that Blake shouldered her way in between the sisters heading towards the mess hall, she hated when she got grouchy, the sooner she got food in her stomach the sooner she'd actually feel like talking to those two. _They don't seem that bad…_

* * *

 _Ah, the fresh air, nothing like the smell of cinnamon on a nice, warm day… especially after that blonde girl-_ Jaune chuckled to himself as he stepped off of the ship, already enjoying fond memories of his time at Beacon and he hadn't even set foot on the school's grounds yet. A few of his fellow hunters in training had stopped mid-stroll and were giving him confused looks, he waved them off with a nervous laugh as he slowly made his way down the ramp and set foot on solid ground for the first time in several hours.

 _I wonder how she is, she seemed very awkward and sensitive earlier, the sickness probably further embarrassed her, poor girl. I should try and-HUAA!_ Jaune found himself tumbling to the ground, landing with a thud against something sturdy and surprisingly soft that luckily broke his fall. _Come on Jaune, you're more aware than that…_ he scalded himself before jumping to his feet and brushing himself off. His gaze snapped to the figure now struggling to stand, his wolverine ears granting him exceptional hearing and allowing him to hear the quiet, frustrated groans that soon turned into audible growls.

The larger man got to his feet and turned to face Jaune. "Hey what's your-" the larger male stopped in his tracks, giving Jaune a double and a triple take. "Are you Jaune Arc?" The blonde just smiled, taking great pride in being recognised.

"Why yes I am."

The simple response earned Jaune a complete switch in the other's mood, all prior resentment instantly dissipating and being replaced with a small amount of fear that Jaune hated seeing in the mysterious stranger's eyes. "I am so, so sorry Mr Arc!" Jaune also hated such incessant formality; he did not deserve this treatment from this assumed human, come to think of it: nobody did.

"What? Why? You didn't do anything." Jaune explained, Cardin's guard dropped as did his mouth, Jaune had to admit that he was amused by the situation.

"You mean you're NOT going to yell at me?" the stranger's voice was genuinely curious, seemingly disbelieving that such a thing was even remotely possible. It was Jaune's turn to play the shocked student standing there speechless before his new friend having been taken completely by surprise by his gentle nature and the revelation that he had been conditioned, either by himself, his family or by Faunus to apologise to the self-proclaimed superior race for every transgression committed.

Jaune shrugged, his hands brushing off what the other boy considered a punishable offense. "Pfft, please it was my fault for getting side-tracked-I should've been looking where I was going." For the first time Jaune heard the other guy laugh, or at least meaningfully laugh-it was just a solitary chuckle imbued with realisation that everything would be alright. "What is it?"

The redheaded giant held back his laughter for a few moments, recovering quickly he placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "You're not like the others…" he straightened himself up, using Jaune as sturdy support. "The name's Cardin, Cardin Winchester. It's nice to meet you."

Jaune shrugged off the friendly gesture, Cardin flinching as he pulled back his hand defensively, once more slightly worried about offending the man heralded as a national hero. Jaune reassured him that everything was fine once more before glancing around, realising that, at some point, the ship had taken back to the skies and the other students had all funnelled passed and into the academy, there was not a soul in sight. Jaune had one question on his mind, one which he hoped Cardin had the answer to because the food smelled delicious. "Uh… Cardin: Where are we?"


	2. Welcome to Beacon

"Mmm… This is so good!" Weiss moaned happily, stuffing another mouthful of the tuna sandwich into her mouth, Ruby just laughed at her sister's antics grabbing herself a handful of cocktail sausages and dropping them on her plate.

"How very un-ladylike…" Weiss turned and searched for the source, she recognised that voice. She turned back to face the buffet table and found herself face to face with Blake, a wry smirk on the snake Faunus's face breaking only slightly to allow her a bite of a sandwich she'd grabbed moments prior. "Sorry about earlier, I get grouchy when I'm hungry" she explained apologetically, one hand covering her mouth politely.

Weiss smacked her tongue against the roof of her mouth producing a "tut" sound. "You're one to talk Miss Talking With Her Mouth Full." She was still a little weary of the previously somewhat aggressive girl but gave her a friendly smile anyways, she was naturally social and so it was easy to play nice when others wanted to as well.

""Miss Blake Talkingwithhermouthfull"… Yeah I tend to just use "Belladonna", it's easier to read and quicker to write." Weiss couldn't stifle a giggle bringing that infectious smile back to Blake's lips. Suddenly Blake began gazing off into the distance absentmindedly. Weiss's eyes narrowed curiously, as much as she knew better than to go snooping she always was too nosy for her own good, it led to most calling her inconsiderate… which was entirely accurate.

She tapped the dark girl on the shoulder, pulling Blake's attention back to her "What is it?" she asked before following where her eyes were looking. Four hyena faunus were laughing amongst themselves, a flash of blonde hair disappeared from her vision. "Oh it's… nothing…"

Line Break

The door to the mess hall swung open, Jaune falling through hurriedly, Cardin calmly strolling behind him. "WE MADE IT!" shouted Jaune comically earning yet another awkward moment as everyone in the hall turned and stared. "Uh… I mean, hi guys." The other students all just shook their heads in disbelief and returned to what they were doing previously. "So, do you want to eat? I smell cinnamon… and pancakes!"

Cardin couldn't even answer as his new friend had already disappeared into the crowd, his sights set on the food resting on the tables that lined the back wall. Cardin just shook his head and followed, the large man feeling slightly starved from not eating during the long trip. Somewhere along the way Jaune had found himself gazing at a youthful rabbit Faunus, something Cardin had called him on.

"You certainly wouldn't want every guy in the room checking you out now would you?" Cardin's arms crossed to signal that he believed that the end of the argument. Jaune smiled at his naiveté, this guy was going to be a good friend; he knew that already.

"Actually I like to believe I'd feel complimented."

"Like I said-"

"Ahem." Cardin and Jaune's attention was drawn towards a tall, slender and aged man clad in green that had taken to the small stage; he had a cane in one hand. "I'll... keep this brief." He began. "You have travelled here today in search of knowledge - to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction."

"What did he just say?" Jaune asked, clearly taking offense at his headmaster's words.

Ozpin didn't wait for the whispers of disagreement to fade, he continued on; those that deserved to listen would be listening. "You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." And with that Ozpin turned to leave. Jaune and Cardin both felt a little empty. Then the door swung open and in came another man dressed in green, much younger than the one on stage, far more energetic and certainly less considerate.

"Come on Nora, we're going to miss the speech!" he shouted loudly and excitedly, dragging "Nora" by the hand. Nora was a redhead dressed in a pink skirt, a white top with a heart shape cut out displaying part of her chest, a black vest and a small amount of body armour. She was also wearing pink gloves and a pair of pink and white shoes and had a large pink ribbon fixed to her back, the two tails fluttering lightly behind her. Jaune could see a pair of mouse ears sticking from the top of her head.

The headmaster turned back around to face the crowd of students, eying up the new entrants with a clear look of disdain in his eyes. The boy was wearing a pink cuffed green tailcoat with black and gold trimming and a pair of light tan trousers. He had pink eyes with a magenta streak evident in his already bizarre hairstyle. The woman stood behind the headmaster, the same one Jaune recognised as the one that spoke to them via a hologram on the airship placed a calming hand on the headmaster's shoulder and whispered something in his ear. He just groaned in response but nodded and left the stage.

The blonde woman took the microphone. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

* * *

Jaune sighed as he entered the ballroom, on the way out of the mess hall he and Cardin ran into Nora and Ren, the latter of which had talked non-stop during the fifteen minute walk to the makeshift sleeping quarters. "You know Jaune… it is Jaune right? We should be friends, wouldn't that be so cool? Do you want to go rock climbing at some point?"

"No." he said flatly, as fun as that sounded he had one focus now that he was at Beacon Academy and that was graduating from Beacon Academy, his father, his father before him and even his great, great grandfather had all served in the military, all becoming well-respected and high ranking soldiers. His great, great grandfather was the most noteworthy wielder of Crocea Mors, even became a hero-a true hero that is-not the false idol Jaune had been painted as after preventing some human gang warfare.

"Skydiving?" Ren offered again. Besides the fact that they would likely be falling from the sky almost daily he had no intention of jumping out of a plane and relying on a parachute, if parachutes were reliable then landing strategies wouldn't be one of the first things taught to new hunters in training.

"Nope." he disregarded again.

"Skiing?"

He had to give Ren props, the boy certainly knew how to have a good time on his off-hours, and he wasn't easily disheartened. Still he was slightly annoying. Turning to Nora he had just a single question "Is he always like this?"

"Yep…" was her response, carrying a tone of absolute indifference as they walked side by side in search of a good place to rest for the night. Jaune, Nora and Cardin all laughed at Ren's feigned heartbreak. "We should really focus on finding somewhere to sleep Ren."

Ren nodded happily, his eyes searching the room for enough space to comfortably accommodate four people. "Over there!" he pointed before walking over and dropping his bag on the floor. The other three just shrugged and did the same, surrendering to Ren's boisterous behaviour.

"No humans allowed!" Cardin's gaze snapped to the left, four hyena Faunus were baring down upon him. Cardin was hardly a coward, far from it, but there were four of him, and he was still the only human he'd seen since arriving at Beacon Academy; even if Jaune, Nora and Ren were willing to help him fend of these four racists there was no telling exactly what the other students would do.

It was at that moment that Jaune stepped up, placing himself between the leader of the pack of bullies and his friend "Hey what did you just say?"

The leader just gave a throaty laugh, taking great amusement from seeing a Faunus playing the hero to a human. "You heard me; humans don't deserve to be here. They should feel honoured being even allowed to LOOK at this architectural masterpiece!"

"You're a little slow aren't you?" Jaune said mockingly, squaring up to the leader. "HUMANS built this "architectural masterpiece"! You don't own it; we Faunus do not own it. THIS is an academy built to train the BEST in the world, and most humans deserve that title more than some Faunus…" the bully growled in frustration before storming off.

Cardin's eyes locked onto the retreating group of bullies, they'd be back eventually, and he'd have to be ready, he just hoped that he would be friends with whomever he was partnered with so he wouldn't have to face them alone. "Thanks Jaune, but you really didn't need to."

"Nonsense, you're my friend, of course I'm going to stand up for…" Jaune's gaze faltered as his eyes met the curious violet eyes of a certain bear Faunus "you." The blonde girl returned her gaze to her book, blushing slightly at being caught. He gave a parting glance to the hyena Faunus that now loitered against a far wall, their gaze still transfixed on Cardin. "Nora could you and Ren stay with Cardin for the rest of the night for me? I got a… uh, thing I need to check on."

"Not a problem."

"Great, thanks guys." And with that Jaune departed, waving a goodbye to his newly met friends.

* * *

"So Blake, what made you want to become a huntress?" asked Weiss in an attempt to stir the conversation that had dried up, she didn't particularly care, but it was better than the blanket of silence that created a tense atmosphere.

Blake hummed for a few seconds thinking her reply over. "Honestly I don't know, fighting is all I've ever done, I was hardly the perfect child growing up and figured that this was a better application of my skills than the petty crimes I had been committing." Weiss was shocked, something Blake had hoped for, she enjoyed the shock factor of "big revelations" and it would teach Weiss to think twice about what she asked strangers. "What is it?" she asked uncaringly, already knowing the answer.

"Oh it's… umm… nothing…" Weiss went a little red and scalded herself inwardly.  _Come on Weiss, don't be a dunce. Past criminal or not how bad can she be? I mean she's here at Beacon and you always tell Ruby that everyone deserves a second chance._  "Just not every day that a stranger tells you about… THAT kind of stuff…" she trailed off slightly embarrassed. Blake's devilish smirk wasn't helping, she knew Weiss wouldn't be ready for such a response and was now drinking in the results.

That's when she noticed her, once again. The blonde was sitting in another shady corner on her lonesome, head down in her book a faint red blush tinting her cheeks. Her bear ears were flat against the top of her head and her posture in general was stiff. This time Weiss had also noticed her. "Hey Rubes, you wanna go say hello again?" Ruby nodded and danced off in the girl's general direction with a wide smile on her face. Weiss watched her go before turning to Blake "You coming?"

She got no reply, Blake had turned into a humming statue, intently observing Ruby as she appeared next to Yang and greeted her warmly, Yang looked up meeting her silver eyes before her gaze fell to the ground again, a shy smile on her face. "I guess not." Weiss said with a shrug before following her younger sister.

* * *

"So Yang…" Ruby began though honestly never thought up exactly where to take the conversation whilst prancing over happily, she'd learned her name moments prior. Grasping at straws she took a page from her sister's book. "What made you decide you want to become a huntress?"

"Huh?" Yang said followed swiftly by an "oh" as she processed the redhead's question. "Umm…"

"You're Jaune Arc right?" Yang let out a "phew".  _Saved by the sister…_ she thought before realising that she was now surrounded by Ruby, Weiss and Jaune. She heard a male voice confirm Weiss's suspicions. "Cool…" the white-haired girl said indifferently before turning to face the blonde. "So how are you feeling? Still a little shaken up by those dolts?" she asked her thumb pointing in the direction of four hyena Faunus.  _She saw that?_  Yang thought to herself, her body visibly recoiling.

Jaune cast a glance in the direction Weiss was pointing; she was either calling both Nora and Ren idiots or she was talking about the bullies he'd just chased off before spying Yang across the room, either one boiled his blood though the resentment was directly at different people. "What, you mean the loitering hyenas?" Yang nodded shyly. "Goddammit those guys are really starting to annoy me…"

"What else have they done?"

Jaune groaned; his mind brought back round once more to the idiots trying to intimidate and push around Cardin just because he didn't have two pairs of ears… "Racists, the lot of them; just because humans are a minority population doesn't mean they're inferior."

Weiss just nodded, a smile crossing her face as she felt Jaune's compassion for equality. "Well said."

Yang's gaze bounced back to Ruby as the redhead spoke up. "Inferior no, but that doesn't mean we should trust them enough to consider them equals, not socially anyways." Weiss cast a warning glance to the redhead silently telling her that this wasn't the time or place to exercise the first amendment. Ruby caught her gaze and suddenly got a little quieter "Sorry Weiss, I just…"

A caring hand was placed on Ruby's shoulder, fingers kneading at her joints in a light massage calming her slightly. "I know Ruby."

Overlooking the situation with the redhead Jaune attempted to change topic. "Oh, speaking of embarrassing Yang…"  _smooth segue idiot_ Jaune thought to himself before continuing. "I just want to say that what happened on the plane is safe with me. There is absolutely no way that anyone will learn about your throwing up over me." Yang's head shot up looking at Jaune horrified.

"What?" asked Weiss and Ruby in unison, no hint of amusement in their tones as they looked at Jaune almost accusingly, it didn't take long for Yang to succumb to the second option of her fight or flight instinct pushing her way through the trio of more socially adept individuals.

"I screwed that up didn't?"

"Yup."

"Nice going there scraggly!"

Jaune had already started heading towards the mortified girl that retreated through the crowd. "I'm just gonna go and apolo-" Jaune was interrupted by a dark figure brushing past him, strolling in Yang's direction, her swaying hips mesmerising the blonde warrior for a moment.

"Really Jaune?" Weiss asked her eyes rolling upon seeing the blonde checking out Blake. Hearing Weiss's voice Jaune snapped him out of his forced trance, returning his attention to the yet unintroduced Schnee sisters.

"Oh sorry…" he said, sheepish for the first time that day before his eyes lit up excitably, also for the first time that day. "So… can I ask you two a question?"

"Shoot."

"Do ladies love the name "Jaune Arc"?" Weiss's palm met her face as she sighed exhaustedly. Tonight was gonna be a long night.

* * *

 _Ah, this is more like it, just me and Percy White._ Yang nestled into her isolated corner, pushing away thoughts of Jaune's insensitivity and brashness. She flipped the hefty book open and skimmed through to her favourite section. She let out a content sigh as she read the words inscribed on the page in silence, losing herself in them.

"Skooch."  _Confound it._ Yang reluctantly peered up, ripped from her own little world of fantasies to find herself gazing up at a fair skinned girl in a yukata as dark as her raven hair. The girl was standing confidently, her arms folded across her chest as she waited patiently for something to happen. Yang assumed the girl was waiting for her to do or say something.

"W-what?" she asked tentatively, a little nervous now that she was actually speaking with her book blocker.

"You heard me, shift along; there's gotta be enough room in that corner for the both of us." The other girl replied with a friendly, reassuring smile. Yang was dumbfounded as to why a girl as confident and dominant as this stranger would waste their time trying to talk to someone as bland as her. If it had been anyone else then Yang would probably have fled from the scene, but tonight had been a night of surprises, first the Schnee sisters and now this girl. Something about it all told Yang to obey.

The blonde shuffled across the floor allowing the new arrival enough room to comfortably set herself down next to her. In a matter of seconds she found her body slightly pressed against by another. The dark-haired girl introduced herself as Blake and, after some slight urging Yang told Blake her own name in return. "What's your book about?" Blake asked with a nod to the open book..

The curiosity sounded feigned but Yang didn't care, Blake was one of few that had made an effort to talk to her and she couldn't find a reason not to at least try and make friends at Beacon. "Actually it's poetry, by Percy White; I think you'd find it boring."

Blake's response was immediate and final, sounding far more genuine than her original enquiry. "I bet I would too… but you obviously don't." Blake shifted slightly rearranging her yukata so she was more comfortable. "And that wasn't a good enough answer…" she teased heartily, another warm smile making Yang feel strangely happy; didn't prevent nerves from racking her body however.

"Oh well… I guess all kinds of genres"

"Like?" Blake pressed onwards, refusing to let Yang take the easy escape.

"Umm… Well I ah-" Yang reached up and scratched the area just behind her ear in an attempt to buy herself some time, she didn't know why, no amount of time would change what she'd end up saying. "I'm quite fond of the romance…"  _Or maybe it would have…_ Yang's eyes were quickly cast down to the ground, her cheeks flushing red much to Blake's amusement.

"You are a fan of "the romance"?" she teased with a chuckle, the infection of laughter causing Yang herself to reluctantly giggle in response. "That's cute." Blake complimented wholeheartedly, much to Yang's surprise whom brought her head up once again. "So what's this poem about?" Blake said pointing to the page her book was open to.

"Oh you really don't want to get me started on this one; we could be here all night…"

"Perfect, we've got a night to waste!"

And so that's what they did, Yang found herself more confident than ever before as she told Blake all about one of her most favourite poems that exemplified herself, a girl living in solitude with nothing but the endless and unforgiving pursuit of knowledge to concern herself with. Knowledge that she always hoped would one day free her of her directionless existence, and it had; she knew exactly where her life was headed now, and all she had to do now was take the first step.


	3. Initiation Beckons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note on shipping. I have no plans as of right now to ship anyone that is not canon to the show (that's also why Jaune/Pyrrha is still being hinted at in this chapter though I won't be taking the same approach as the show if it does happen). If I do particularly find myself drawn to a ship, or if people ask for it (unlikely), I may implement it. The only exception to this is Bumbleby, it'll take a lot for me to implement Bumbleby of my own accord simply because I'm biased towards it and don't want that bias to influence the fanfic.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed it (it was a pain to write Ruby and Pyrrha's scene so that's why it was two days late). And as always, any feedback is good feedback

The sun was gracing the sky once more basking Beacon in a wondrous orange glow by the time Blake finally stirred from her peaceful slumber, she was surprised to find herself blissfully dozing off by Yang's side and even more surprised to find that Yang herself was still awake with several textbooks scattered around and drawings of any and all Grimm known to be native to the Emerald Forest precisely labelled with any and all weak spots.

"Morning" Blake said with a yawn, Yang however never replied instead occupying herself with her scroll, watching two hunters bring down a King Taijitu. "Hey, early bird; I said morning!" she repeated louder with feigned frustration.

Yang peered up to see Blake wide awake, her hair messily cascading down her shoulders but never failing to lose its natural waviness. "Oh, hey Blake" Yang greeted shyly whilst reaching for a thermos flask and pouring herself another cup of tea "how'd you sleep?" she asked her still drowsy friend.

Blake yawned, her arms stretching into the air before brushing a stray lock from her eyes. "Well enough. How about you?" she asked whilst edging closer to the blonde's mess, casually looking over each incredibly detailed drawing.

"Actually, I'm a bit of an insomniac so… I haven't…" she took a sip of her own tea before setting it down and going to pour out another drink for her new friend.

"I'm a coffee person" admitted Blake quickly, throwing up a hand to stop Yang from pouring an extra cup that would only get wasted. Yang's simply hummed in acknowledgement before grabbing a different flask and pouring out a cup of coffee. Blake gratefully accepted the hot beverage from Yang with a "thanks" before offhandedly adding "you're so weird" with a short laugh, taking a sip to hide her wide smile that was born from watching Yang stammer over her words; _yup, definitely weird._

A short silence descended over the duo as Yang returned to her last minute preparations, reading up once more on counterattack opportunities against Deathstalker. Blake for her part just sat there in her night clothes enjoying the cool morning air and moaning contently over Yang's coffee-making skills. It was almost tranquil, the last girl to go to sleep was the first girl to wake up and that meant it was just Blake and Yang.

The more confident girl excused herself from the makeshift bed Yang had obviously prepared for her after she dozed off last night and went to get dressed, returning in her combat gear:

Black low-heeled boots, black and purple stockings embroidered with her white symbol, a black buttoned vest with coattails, and a white, sleeveless undershirt that exposed part of her midriff that looked like it could be connected to her white shorts. She also wore three ribbons, one on each arm and a third on her head with a black detached sleeve on her right arm with a silver band.

Yang let out an involuntary chuckle at how inappropriate the attire was for any real combat though knew it was a mistake, Blake was basically a mind reader and she had already jumped to the right conclusion. "Oh like you can say anything about combat gear…" she teasingly retorted pointing to the blonde's own exposed midriff and bare legs.

Yang blushed and crossed her arms across her chest, hiding what skin she could. Her own choice in clothing consisted of a yellow top concealed behind a brown leather jacket, black shorts slightly framed by her matching brown belt that held her extra ammunition, and brown boots. It left little to the imagination now that she actually stopped to think about it but it was also comfy, freeing her enough to move unconstrained when it mattered on the battlefield. The clothing style completely contrasted her usually more vanilla and reserved everyday clothing and was entirely out of character for anyone who got to know her, but they worked very well.

"Relax Yang, it was just a joke, you look fine." Yang perked up a bit at Blake's compliment, the raven-haired girl making a note of Yang's suppressed vanity before getting a devilish grin and adding "very fine…" causing Yang's face to burn a crimson red which it remained at until the blonde noticed Blake's wide smirk at which point she swiftly recovered and delivered a jab to the other girl's left arm.

"Ow, that hurt!" Blake whined in response only to get a forced smile from Yang "oh, so little miss antisocial is getting snarky now?"

"I believe it's something like that." Yang shot back quickly causing Blake to crack a smile.

* * *

It was the usual morning routine for Nora: getting shaken away by a bright and cheerful Ren; breakfast in bed, in this case it was pancakes prepared by the school itself rather than her lifelong best friend; and then having her ear talked off by the hyperactive idiot she had come to admire. She let out a sigh as Ren rambled on about some amateur mixed martial arts tournament earning a "What?" from her friend.

She thought for a minute, for the last four years they'd been near inseparable, they were teammates at the academy they attended prior to this, and even before they practically spent every day together; she was going to miss Ren-even if she would enjoy the peace and quiet for the first day. "Oh it's just… today could be the day we're finally separated, we've been friends since forever, we've been together for the last four years…" Nora trailed off for a second before realising what she said and hurriedly added "but not together-together because that would be weird, right?"

Ren just patted her on her shoulder, the usual hyperactivity gone for but a moment. "Everything will turn out fine Nora, anyone you find yourself on a team with will love you." He trailed off himself before getting wide-eyed, Nora could almost see the light bulb appear above is head, the Ren she adored was back. "BUT maybe we could think up some sort of signal to ENSURE we end up on the same team together!" he then raised his hand in the air, was finger pointing to the ceiling. "Ooh ooh! I know I'm a sloth Faunus, maybe I can imitate a sloth!?"

Nora just rolled her eyes; regardless of Ren's outrageous proposed plan she was entertained by his erratic behaviour and ideas. "Or maybe you could imitate a monkey; you seem to have that down pat." The joke went unheard by Ren whom had already distracted himself with making random noises that Nora highly doubted were sloth noises. Nora shook her head and smiled. "Come on Ren, we've gotta be atop Beacon Cliffs for midday."

Ren let out a chuckle as Nora disappeared into the hallway "coming!" he shouted before chasing after his red haired best friend.

* * *

"I'd just like to say, I'm sorry about Jaune; I barely know the guy myself but he certainly seems a little… insensitive?"

"Clueless." Weiss corrected as she walked side by side with Cardin, the large man almost wiped her out just five minutes ago on the way out of the cafeteria and had apologised four or five times both for his inadvertent attempt on her life and for Jaune accidentally chasing off Yang the night before. "And for the last time its fine Cardin, from what I've seen Blake and her have been getting along…" Weiss lost herself in thought for a few short moments, smiling at the memory of Yang being strangely social with Blake off in a distant corner.

"Good. Good." commented Cardin before looking up at the clock "We've still got 10 minutes to get to the cliffs, might have time to get a drink from the vending machine over there."

It was at that point that the younger teen trailing several feet behind the talking duo tuned out of the conversation, Cardin didn't look to be a threat and she'd rather be anywhere else anyways. Her mind began to race, a random train of thought bringing her from how Weiss can be so trusting of humans, to what the Black Tooth could possibly be planning that would involve them pretending to be good guys, to an old news story about a murder during a human union strike, to her and Weiss's final test before Weiss's father, her adoptive father finally let them attend Beacon.

The thought tangents were brought to an abrupt end by her sister. "Hey Rubes, you wanna get a drink or something?" she asked whilst pointing to a vending machine that Cardin was now using. Ruby just shook her head, confused as to why such a thing was difficult to do only to then realise that she had tensed considerably, her joints stiff and difficult to move. Weiss frowned upon seeing Ruby's demeanour.

"Oh come on Ruby, he's not that bad" she explained "just give him a chance, he might surprise you."

Ruby shook her head to bring herself back to her senses slowly shaking the knots out of her body. "But what if he doesn't?" she asked worriedly. Weiss just let out a sigh in response.

"Umm, hi." greeted a voice from behind the redheaded teen. Ruby pivoted on the spot, bringing herself face to face with a tiger Faunus with long flowing red hair held in a ponytail dressed in bronze and leather armour. "Name's Pyrrha, it's nice to meet you."

The redhead shot a knowing glance to Weiss; clearly Ruby's body language around Cardin wasn't as subtle to others as it had been to Ruby herself. "Do you mind if I steal her away from you for a second?" she asked to the older sister, Weiss abruptly gave the stranger her approval and Pyrrha whisked away Ruby.

The two redheads backtracked for a minute or so before coming to a sudden stop before another vending machine. Pyrrha slotted in some lien before hitting two buttons. The clunks of a bottle of spring water, and a carton of juice hitting the out tray echoed throughout the halls that grew more and more desolate as people arrived early on the cliff top. Grabbing the carton she handed it to the younger girl before taking a swig of her own drink.

Ruby glanced down at the drink that was in her hands before letting out a short laugh. "Really, you're go-to drink for a stranger is…" Ruby paused for a minute, lifting the carton up to read the label of her gifted beverage "Organic mango, pineapple, ginger and lime juice?"

"What do you want from me, champagne?" Pyrrha deadpanned, in response Ruby pretended to think for a moment, humming as she jokingly considered the proposal causing Pyrrha to crack a smile. "Not without Weiss's permission…" Pyrrha added as the duo began their walk back towards the cliff.

"So you're never buying me champagne?"

"That's kind of the point."

Ruby chuckled softly in response whilst paying little attention to the way she was going and absentmindedly crashing through a door stumbling whilst attempting to regain balance. Pyrrha sucked in air through her teeth jokingly for a second whilst Ruby laughed awkwardly and dusted herself down. "Ouch… wait a minute" Ruby said almost accusingly curiosity evident in her voice as she and Pyrrha rounded a corner. "How do you know my sister's name?"

Pyrrha gulped down another mouthful of her water. "It's kind of hard not to recognise the poster child of the Schnee Dust Company…" Ruby suddenly became visibly worried; something Pyrrha took note of "which makes you the fifteen year old that managed to impress the scouts enough to allow you to attend Beacon two years too young."

Ruby's eyes were now cast down to the ground, a clear show of her discomfort as she broached the topic she'd been dreading. With stories came expectations, all she wanted to do whilst at Beacon was be there for her sister, she didn't want to be the focus. "Oh, you heard about that?" she asked sheepishly.

"Of course, it's not every day 15 year olds make it into Beacon! That speaks volumes for what you're capable of, especially when the simple act of anyone getting into Beacon in the first place speaks volumes of what THEY are capable of." Pyrrha was beginning to sense Ruby's discomfort growing and quickly set to killing the conversation. "But I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, everyone here is a capable fighter, I doubt most people would bring it up, for their pride's sake if nothing else."

Ruby let out a sigh before finally stabbing her carton with her straw and beginning to drink; Pyrrha rushed a few steps ahead of the other girl and pushed open a door leading the duo outside. "It's not the "most" I'm worried about." Ruby explained quietly. Pyrrha frowned and the duo fell into silence for the rest of the short trek to the cliff top.

"Well we're" Ruby began announcing only to peer Jaune out of the corner of her eye talking to a blonde girl, the raven-haired rogue next to her looking visibly annoyed. "Uh oh…"

"What is it?" Pyrrha asked, all Ruby did in response was point in the direction of the talking trio, the older girl followed Ruby's motion but the answer to her question only confused her more. "A guy is talking to a girl… and the problem is?"

Ruby scoffed forgetting that Pyrrha had missed Jaune's embarrassing of Yang from last night. "The problem is that I'm ninety percent sure Blake is about to slap Jaune…"

Ruby dashed towards the threesome whilst Pyrrha looked at her quizzically. "Who would slap-Wait Jaune?" she asked the thin air that now graced her in Ruby's place. "Jaune Arc?" she asked once again, paying no mind to the fact she was now by herself before rushing to the side of the younger redhead who was fast approaching the other group.

As they neared the three other students they began to overhear the conversation, Blake let out a sigh as she listened to Jaune apologise to Yang for last night. Ruby in response rolled her eyes, what started as a simple mistake and a slip of the tongue by Jaune was quickly becoming an amateur dramatics production; even Yang had to have let it slip by now.

Her suspicions were quickly confirmed by the shy girl herself before Blake stepped in. "Does he always talk this much?"

Ruby cracked a smile which turned into a chuckle at Yang's response "I believe so, yes." The laughter served to announce hers and Pyrrha's presence to the other three who turned around, Jaune greeting them before his eyes widened, drinking in the form of the older redhead before him. The exchange of words that followed caused Blake to pinch the bridge of her nose in minor frustration, though she couldn't suppress a small, quiet laugh during it.

"Hi, the name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue. Ladies love it!" Jaune introduced himself only for Ruby to interrupt him.

"We already told you we don't…"

Ruby sighed without sincerity as Pyrrha cut in "Actually, I think it's great name."

"You really shouldn't encourage him."

The group's chatter was cut off by the sound of a woman clearing her throat; the five hunters in training averted their attention from one another to a blonde, bespectacled woman. "All students take your positions on the pads that line the cliff edge; Professor Ozpin will be with you shortly."

"Well, looks like the time for talk is over." Blake sighed as she began striding towards the launch pads.

"It was a, umm… pleasure to meet you all!" called out Yang nervously before sprinting to catch up to Blake.

Ruby glanced around herself before following the blonde and the brunette, calling back to Pyrrha and Jaune. "I'll see you guys later!"

At the launch pads Yang and Ruby quickly caught up with the charismatic yet enigmatic Blake and also met back up with Cardin and Weiss before he excused himself to take his place next to Ren and Nora. Just as Weiss greeted the familiar trio and took her position they were called to attention once again by a throat clearing, this time it belonged to the head master.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." He began, his gravitational voice ensuring everyone's attention was on him, flanking him on his left was Glynda, who was currently messing about with a scroll in her left hand before she stepped forward.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumours about the assignment of 'teams'. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today." Her own voice was clearly less confident than her superior's but still commanded attention. Yang gulped and cast a worried glance towards Blake and Weiss who flanked her on her right, Weiss paid no attention seemingly having her own reservations to the idea whilst Blake gave her a warm smile.

Ozpin began speaking again, everyone's attention glued to him. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Weiss groaned, loud enough to grab the attention of Pyrrha several feet away whom cast a worried glance towards Ruby whom visibly shivered. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

"Um… what?" Yang asked softly, the raven-haired girl next to her placed a hand on her shoulder gaining the blonde's attention.

"Don't worry about it Yang." She explained softly "everything will work out."

"But… I'm…"

"Shy? Well yeah, but what do you think you've been doing with me for the last 12 hours?" Blake challenged, earning a smile and a restrained throaty laugh in response. "Who knows, maybe I'll see you down there." Yang nodded in response. Ozpin had paused in his speech while the students processed the information in their own way. Weiss just let out a smile, as did Ruby; both sisters' faces frozen in expressions of determination. Off to the distance they could hear Ren and Nora.

"See, I told you! Just you watch!" Ren exclaimed "Uh… listen!" he corrected himself, Nora just shook her head in response before sighing at the thought of being left alone with a complete stranger for a partner for the next four years

Once he was sure the students had finished talking amongst themselves, Ozpin continued. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."

Pyrrha gulped whilst Jaune nodded. "You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

Pyrrha gulped once more and raised her hand. "Um… the landing strategy… do we get parachutes or something?" she flinched instinctively as she heard Weiss whisper something to Ruby before the duo was launched forcefully into the forest.

"No." he said emphatically, bringing the debate to a close there and then though elaborated anyways. "You will be falling, and you will use your own landing strategy Ms. Nikos, you passed Combat Theory at Sanctum, you should be more than capable of this."

As if on cue several more launch pads fired their occupants off into lush greenery. Pyrrha just gulped as Jaune let out a chuckle before being fired off the cliff himself, now alone she closed her eyes and sighed _you can do this Pyrrha, you can do this Pyrrha, you can-_ She was interrupted by the spring coming undone and the launch pad pushing her upwards, she screamed as she fell with style into the forest.


	4. Into the Forest

"Aha!" shouted Nora at the top of her lungs uncharacteristically; usually she was reserved and shy but something about flying through the sky-feeling the wind in her face, hearing the howl of thevery air itself as she ripped through it-gave her a sense of excitement and a rush of adrenaline that she had yet to find words to describe. After a few short seconds she pulled out Magnhild, her weapon of choice that could only be described as a grenade launching warhammer; why it was her weapon of choice despite being the most obnoxious weapon she'd ever seen was a story she didn't like reminiscing on.

Magnhild was presently in its grenade launcher form, which was exactly what Nora needed; she fired off three or four rounds to decrease her velocity, the heart imprinted, silver canisters slamming into the ground in an explosion of pink dust. She winced slightly as she remembered that some students were already in the forest but quickly shrugged it off as she switched Magnhild to warhammer and proceeded to ride it lazily to the floor… or as lazily as she could whilst fighting a war of acceleration with gravity.

Seconds later and she impacted the ground; she heard the distinct yelp of a beowolf when she landed; she also heard bones mulch and a 'pop' before seeing blood spray everywhere. She dropped from the hammerhead of her weapon and peered down to the mess beneath it. Her face contorted as she saw the messy remains of a beowolf, it rendered her speechless save for two words. "Uh…whoops!" And with that she set about training her ears to listening out for Ren's absurd rendition of a sloth call.

* * *

Only one word could be used to describe Jaune as he fell through the air, his body stiff and formal, and that word was focussed. This was a mindset he always found himself in; when in hostile territory there was only him, those that wanted to kill him, and that which could be used to keep him alive. His arc he projected himself at would lead him straight to a tree and then he could get this tradition out of the way.

He gripped his simple sword, a family heirloom by the name of Crocea Mors tightly as he waited for the seconds to pass by. At the last moment he drew the longsword from its scabbard and slammed it into the bark of the tree he had aimed himself at just a short while ago. The sturdy blade easily pierced the tree and quickly began ripping through the wood allowing Jaune a leisurely decent into the forest.

Before the decent was finished however the sword jammed on something in the tree, serving as a quick reminder to Jaune that he still wasn't too good at judging his immediate velocity or his displacement from the ground. His landing strategy came to a grind halt and he swung idly from his blade several feet above the ground. "Oh… um…" he began awkwardly racking his brain for ideas before just giving in and going for the immediate answer: just pull.

And so he did, he pulled himself up a short way before dropping all his weight back down, on the weapon. Rather than finish cutting through the rest of the tree, Crocea Mors opted to instead slip from the gaping fissure it had already left and Jaune quickly fell to the ground, his weapon following suit. He heard the snickering of two girls behind him and got to his feet. "It's okay, totally meant to do that; you know, adds a little something different for a change…"

* * *

"BIRDY NO!"

Weiss flinched as she heard the squeal of her sister; _that single kill will play havoc with her frail mindset_. She shook her head, wiping away her concerns. _Now is not the time to get distra-_ and just like that Weiss was distracted by the sound of Pyrrha screaming as she fell from the sky. Weiss sighed before quickly conjuring a glyph at her feet and bouncing off of it, the previous glyph dissipated as another appeared beneath her putting her near ground level and allowing her to hop off to safety.

She had no time to revel in the feeling of solid ground beneath her feet however as she quickly revolved on the spot, immediately finding the still panicked and falling Pyrrha. She brought her rapier up, the blade running parallel to her chest and pressed the tip of her index finger against the sharp edge, a series of glyphs were summoned beneath the falling Pyrrha. Weiss vanquished them in turn as soon as Pyrrha struck them to minimise damage as she roughly fell from platform to platform before finally hitting the hard ground of the forest with a thud.

Weiss's first instinct was to flinch at seeing how rough the fall was regardless of what she did to help, her next instinct was to rush to her side but she stopped herself and shook her head. _No, if I check on Pyrrha then that'll make her my partner… I need to make sure I'm on the same team as Ruby; for her sake._ And with that she dashed off in the general direction that she believed Ruby to be in considering the redhead's decent into the forest.

* * *

The entire world was still now, landing strategies were now executed, excitement of other students died away as they scattered into the unforgiving forest and Ruby was left gazing up at the sky, a frown on her face at where the baby Nevermore once was. _What did that bird do to deserve that?_ She questioned herself sadly, kicking her boots against the ground in anger at herself for being so careless. _It didn't have die, it never had to die!_

She soon shook herself out of her stupor, getting a grip on herself with the repeated reminder that she was there to ensure the safety of her elder sister, and she'd do whatever it took to keep that promise she made to herself all that time ago. The peaceful serenity that had washed over the forest over the last few seconds was soon cut short when a roar ripped through the air, Ruby recognised it a mile off, an Ursa, likely protecting its territory. Whoever it was however may have needed her help… and it could be Weiss.

With her goal in mind she rushed off into the forest and within seconds she was concealed within a bush, her eyes widened as she recognised the girl in the middle of the clearing; a single ursa on either side of her. It was Yang.

The ursi growled in unison and Ruby's fingers twitched, her left hand moving to settle on her own weapon. She froze however as Yang let out a confident laugh, she really was a whole other person on the battlefield. Ruby just let out a smile and opted to just watch; the less damage she had to do to the creatures of Grimm, the better.

The first ursa dashed forward clumsily; entirely characteristic of the beast, Yang rolled to the left before back stepping to avoid the second ursa's claws. They were far too predictable, they almost always attacked in pairs but lacked the intellect to organise their assaults. It made for a very easy fight as long as you remained alert.

Ruby winced as she watched Yang deliver an uppercut to the second exposed beast, an explosion sounding out as her gauntlet fired a shotgun shell into the ursa. Yang was completely unfazed by its immense power. The ursa however was sent careening into the air.

Quicker than the shot she just fired Yang ducked beneath the swipe of the second ursa, gripping its paw and flipping herself up onto it before firing two shots into the earth beneath her, propelling herself into the air where she spun and fired again; launching herself at the still air born second ursa and delivering a swift kick to its chest launching it through a tree.

She landed with a thud, converting her inertia in a forward roll to effortlessly evade the follow up swipe of the ursa she had just used as a launching platform. It stumbled and was left exposed as Yang pirouetted and delivered a swift left hook to the right side of the ursa face, a sick crunch was hurt causing Ruby to wince and a crack appeared on its mask as it staggered sideways.

Yang gave another glance behind her shoulder at the recovering second ursa and stiffened her arms, the gauntlets automatically released the empty shell casings from its chambers and she whipped out two red cartridges, launching them into air before catching them in the now empty chambers of her gauntlets.

The second ursa was now back to his feet and began to charge at the blonde brawler, she gave it a small smirk before stepping aside, the ursa charging past and crashing into its brethren, the bear like creatures toppled end over end for several feet before disentwining themselves from one another and charging as a unit. Yang let out another short laugh before dashing forward herself. Ruby readied her weapon, Crescent Rose extending into its gun form and leapt from the bushes, Yang was now mere inches away from the charging pair; she'd be bulldozed and trampled in a second.

Before a second passed Yang dropped to the ground, skidding along the dirt right underneath one of the ursa. Her right hand was now extended into the air, fist scraping along the rough underside of the creature. Ruby halted again in curiosity as Yang found the spot she needed and proceeded to fire her weapon; Ruby winced again and looked away as the ursa let out a yelp and crashed to the ground in pain.

The second ursa ground itself to a halt and cast a single glance to its now whimpering and wounded partner before growling at the focussed and unmarred Yang. It charged forward again and Yang rolled her eyes. _So predictable…_ she thought to herself before side stepping yet again, this time she loosed a shot from her gauntlet into the beast's paw and it staggered. The blonde quickly followed up by bringing her fist around to the ursa's shoulder blade; the impact of the punch shattered the bone even before the large explosion blew it off-balance and caused it to slam into the ground.

Yang readied her fists, the shotguns pumping another round into their chambers as she took aim, explosives rounds were now trained on the heads of the helpless ursi that now howled in pain. Yang brought her hand back to fire one of the cocked rounds and Ruby activated her semblance, slamming her entire body into the blonde and tackling her to the ground.

"What the?" Yang groaned as she recovered from the dazing confusion of being knocked on her backside so forcefully. She found that she couldn't move however and peered up, anxious to find out what was pinning her to the floor. "R-Ruby? What…" Yang trailed off as she began attempting to make sense of what had happened, just a minute ago she was fighting ursi and now she was being saddled by a fifteen year old…

She cast a single glance in the direction of the still downed and struggling ursi before peering back up to Ruby. Realisation dawned in quickly as she saw the restrained tears in the redhead's eyes. "Ruby, I-"

"You don't need to kill them…" she said softly, her lip quivering. Yang swallowed a lump in her throat and just nodded, surrendering to the stressed teen that immediately let her go upon feeling the blonde struggle. Now free from the redhead's bindings she reached into the left most compartment of her belt and pulled out a vile of silver dust, tossing it to Ruby who deftly caught it. Next she pulled out two bandages and made her way to the downed ursi.

"I suppose we better get a move on, these ursi aren't going to patch themselves up." She said with a fake smile to the redhead who just nodded in appreciation and bounced over.

Ruby spilled some dust out of the container onto a small piece of cloth. "It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you…" she said soothingly before pressing the cloth against the chunk of the beast's shoulder that had been blown off by Yang. Her eyes quickly widened as she turned to face said blonde. "Does this mean we're partners now?" she asked, a worried tone tinged with a small amount of excitement evident in her voice.

The confidence Yang exuberated on the battlefield had all but dissipated now that she was actually talking to the younger girl. "Uh… Yeah, I-I guess so…" she finally said uncertainly whilst her lips stretched in a small smile as she fixed a bandage around the chest of the ursi that had opted not to attack her upon seeing how caring the redhead girl was being toward its brother, she was at least grateful her partner would be Ruby if it wasn't Blake.

Yang let out a sigh as she stood to her feet, the look of complacent apathy in the eyes of the ursa she was moments from blowing the brains out of causing the grin to turn into a small frown. "Well, we've done all we can for them." She announced in an attempt to distract herself from her thoughts.

Ruby peered up from the ursa that was still clearly in pain. "Right." she agreed, uncertainty in her voice before she hid it behind a façade of enthusiasm. "And that means we've got a temple to get to partner!" she announced with a mock salute. Yang shook her head and rolled her eyes, a small smirk re-appearing. _Despite everything Ruby was still a 15 year old girl in heart, mind and body… she'd have to remember that…_

* * *

"Ruby?" Weiss's eyes scanned from tree to tree, shadow to shadow. If Ruby was in the forest alone, then she'd stay hidden, there's no way Ruby would want to risk running into Cardin, or anyone else she didn't know and being forced to team with them for four years; and the more Grimm she could avoid having to fight the better.

"Ruby!?" she called again before sighing, she'd been searching for a short while and had already had to ignore the gunfire of nameless students, and the cries of pain from Pyrrha as she crashed from glyph to glyph before landing "safely" on the ground. Weiss inwardly chastised herself, there had to have been a better way of handling that situation…

"RUBY!?" she called out again, this time the shout was followed by a groan as she came to a stop in the middle of a beautiful meadow in amongst the trees. _I hope I'm not too late… Ruby really can't be paired with someone like one of those hyenas from earlier…_ her attention was brought back to reality by a shiver inducing, bloodthirsty growl. She peered up and, with nothing else to say she just shakily repeated her sister's name.

A group of beowolves clambered out from the bushes they had been using for cover and growled at her, Weiss flinched before raising Myrtenaster up into an offensive stance. The beowolves were far from the most dangerous thing in the forest, but they were easily the least friendly. _Okay not the time to think about Ruby._ Her eyes quickly scanned her surroundings, they had her surrounded and she couldn't suppress a gulp.

 _Remember your training Weiss._ From what her senses were telling her, she assumed there were at least nine or ten of the wolf-like Grimm all around her. _Slow your breathing, wait for the right to strike._ The hilt of Myrtenaster clicked into place on the red chamber as the larger beowolf in the centre howled, beginning its move to strike. _And-_

"What on Remnant do you think you're doing!?" exclaimed a judgmental voice from her right. Weiss's guard dropped and her eyes darted to the side to see the source. Blake Belladonna. Before she could question what the darker girl meant she was met by the claw of one of the beowolves and it flung her backwards, she landed painfully against the floor and the beowolf charged at her.

She readied herself to roll away but found a boot pressing her down against the floor as two swords ripped through the skull of the larger beowolf, the head falling to the ground in two pieces, blood spurting from the stump left behind. "Stay down if you want to live." Came a commanding voice, it was Blake once again.

The snake Faunus placed her cleaver against her back and pulled back her katana, the blade folded over into a kama as the rest of the pack lurched forward. Blake launched her weapon at the horde and pulled the trigger, the blade careening off and jamming itself into the chest of a beowolf. Weiss's eyes followed the ribbon back to its source Blake, who gave it a tug and the trigger pulled once more.

The blade ripped back out of the beowolf's chest yanking out a few shards of one or two of its shattered ribs as it returned to its wielder. Weiss flinched as the blade stopped inches away from her face and Blake tugged again.

What followed left Weiss in awe, Blake was dancing elegantly around her weapon, flipping and seemingly gliding in the air as the kusarigama bounced almost playfully from beowolf to beowolf. It succeeded in ripping out a fresh chunk of flesh from its target every time without fail. In amidst her fascination and admiration of Blake's mastery of her weapon she noted that the girl seemed to be able to almost teleport around, each movement aided by the false figure she left in her wake as she jumped about evading each and every beowolf.

A few seconds later and it was over, every beowolf had been cut mercilessly into ribbons by the huntress-to-be and most impressively of all both she and Blake were completely unscathed from the furious chaos that was the whirlwind of attacks Blake executed flawlessly and effortlessly with just one form of the weapon Weiss would soon learn was called Gambol Shroud.

Weiss shook her head, snapping herself from her admiration of Blake's skill, one question playing on her mind; one minor detail of the events that had transpired in the last four minutes irking her. "What the hell was that!?" she questioned with a shout. Blake had almost gotten her killed just a few minutes ago. Blake shot her a cold and disapproving look.

"THAT was me stopping you from the setting the forest on fire!" she chastised whilst cleaning the blade of her weapon on the grass. "Seriously, what in all things holy would possess you to use RED DUST in a place like this!?" she continued the verbal beat down her voice growing into a shout as she sheathed her now cleaner blade within the confines of her cleaver.

Weiss opened her mouth to retort but found herself biting her tongue. She couldn't defend her actions; Blake was right after all she was an idiot to think the dust selection was appropriate, but at the same time Blake was her friend… or at least that's what Weiss considered Blake; her reaction was completely uncalled for. "But still was that really necessary? I thought we were friends…"

Blake's face softened slightly upon hearing the last word before quickly hardening, the rage returning albeit slightly restrained. "And that is true, but I refuse to let my partner be so stupid as to try and use FIRE to fight in a FOREST!" Weiss paused again, in amidst the conflict she'd completely forgotten that one rule; she was now partners with Blake for four years. That wasn't the problem; after all she had just witnessed what Blake was capable of… The problem was that there was now no guarantee that she'd be on the same team as Ruby…

The raven-haired rogue ignored the swallowing Weiss visibly and audibly did; believing it none of her business and began to walk off into the forest. "Now come on Weiss. And try to NOT get us killed before we get to the temple…" Blake reasoned to herself that she was probably being a little too harsh, but she shrugged it off, she'd suffered many wounds because her partners weren't prepared to watch her back when she needed them the most; she would NOT let Weiss be another name on that list.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we arrive at the first part of major characterisation for Ruby (and technically Blake). As a point of reference, these kind of chapters are probably going to be the "upper limit" in terms of length (~3500 words) unless I'm feeling particularly generous or find myself with a lot of free time during Nightshade and Roses upcoming hiatus. As always, hope you enjoy, follow if you enjoyed it and if you have the time then why not review? Reviews are good right? Speaking of which thanks to everyone that gave feedback on Chapter 2, you're all awesome.


	5. Temple Hunt

Pyrrha's face had never been so pale, then again she'd never been falling from the sky without a way of stopping her decent with the cold hard ground waiting to meet her either. She let out a frightened scream as she careened through the air, the powerful wind blowing her fiery red in all manner of direction, slightly skewing her vision. _THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!_ She thought and shut her eyes tight, imagining herself anywhere but about to die.

The curious sound of something forming beneath her caused them to open up again and she peered down. Then she hit the glyphs and let out several agonised groans as she crashed repeatedly from one white platform to the next, none of the hits doing any real damage to her but still washing her body in waves of pain. Then she hit the ground hard, let out a scream of pain, and blacked out.

 _What happened?_ Pyrrha's eyes slowly, cautiously slid open as she came to. She flinched at the bright sunlight that assaulted her irises, her vision beginning to swim as she struggled to take in her surroundings. She had a pounding headache and her back ached, but she was alive at least. And even though she couldn't exactly see or feel anything but the pain, she could at least still hear. _Wait…_ A shadow cast itself over her, shielding her eyes from the unforgiving sun and she snapped them up, twisting away from the sight, the source of how she knew she could hear.

Towering above her was the representation of balance, the creature once worshipped as a symbol of a perfect world, the King Taijitu. It's soft yet violent hiss struck fear into Pyrrha's heart as she struggled away from twin headed snake. She struggled to one knee and gripped at the air next to her thigh before letting out a gulp. _Where's my weapon?_ The Taijitu let out another blood chilling hiss and struck forward, both heads intent on squashing the redhead.

* * *

Nora let out a sigh as she stalked through the forest, never letting her guard down despite not seeing, or hearing a thing since accidentally squashing a beowolf. She was getting increasingly bored and nervous the more time went on. _Come on, really? I can't be the only thing in this forest…_ She gulped as she pushed through a collection of ferns, forcing her way through the nuisances. _What if Ren's already back at Beacon? What if he's got a partner? What if-_

Nora paused herself mid-muse as sudden realisation dawned in and she changed the palette of questions she asked herself whilst vaulting over a collapsed tree. _So what if Ren has a new partner, what will actually change? How bad can it be to bond with another fellow aspiring hunter? Why does it bother me this much at the thought of being separated from Ren?_ She paused herself again, rewinding her train of thought. _Why does it bother me this much at the thought of being separated from Ren?_

"Hmm…" she hummed in contemplation, mulling over the question. It was a good one too, she almost tricked herself into believing that the thought never once crossed her mind simply because she lacked an answer of her own, but the thought itself just wouldn't go away. "Exactly… Why DOES it bother me this much at the thought of being separated from Ren?"

Before she had to answer the question she heard some rustling in a bush off in the distance. She silently thanked whatever or whoever it was for buying her more time to think of a rational explanation before creeping over towards the lush greenery she believed to be the source. Her hand gripped Magnhild, presently in gun form, tightly as her spare hand hesitantly pulled back one of the branches of the bush. She breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing nothing there before cursing the same outcome, her head dropping causing her to stare at the ground; she really didn't want to answer that self-posed question, and truth be told, she couldn't.

"Grrraaawww! Grrraaawww!"

Nora's head lifted up, a wide smile on her face. She'd recognise that noise from anywhere. There was only one person in the world that could even think up such a thing, let alone use it inside the Emerald Forest during initiation.

The redhead bounded through the forest excitedly in search of the noise. It HAD to be Ren. She pushed through a collection of branches before ducking beneath a low hanging twig and leaping over what looked to be strangely wet, and likely slippery, mud; strange because it was in the midst of a blistering hot day… and it hadn't rained in nearly a week. Nora surmised that it was probably the work of another student, chuckling as she accepted the idea that the reason she had yet to need to actually fight was because someone else had unknowingly been doing it for her.

She heard the call again, it was getting closer, and that urged her on. Her motivation was stomped dead however upon seeing a small river, one with a raging tide that would make it far too tiring, and likely dangerous, to swim across. Turquoise eyes skimmed across the environment settling on a tree close to the edge of the water, Nora smiled and readied Magnhild, taking aim at the base of the tree and pulled the trigger three times, each shot exploding at the ground and quickly causing the tree to topple… the wrong way.

Nora hurried over, Magnhild quickly converting to warhammer form. _Faster!_ Nora commanded herself with an unnecessary urgency before leaping across the clearing she was in and spinning in the air, Magnhild slamming into the toppling tree and reversing its momentum. A loud thud sounded out as it crashed against the bank of the other side of the river.

Nora let out a chuckle as she returned her weapon to its more wieldy form before balancing her way across the sturdy trunk. In hindsight Nora thought it may be a good idea to get some separation from Ren; after all the only two things Nora had done since arriving in the forest were born of his terrible influence.

After jumping the gap that was left between the end of the tree and the other side of the river she continued on her way, the sound of fighting coming from what looked to be a grotto now serving as her guide. When she arrived in said grotto her mouth dropped. There was no Ren. What there was however, was a steadily breathing Jaune tearing his sword out of the dead body of an ursa, surrounding him were the scattered remnants of three beowolves and slumped against a tree was the slowly dissipating corpse of the ursa's partner; also known as another ursa.

"Oh, hey Nora…" Jaune said nonchalantly before striding over as he sheathed Crocea Mors. "Guess that makes us partners." Nora didn't respond; her eyes simply scanned the remains of the creatures of Grimm before falling upon the treeline, her mind clouded with questions of whether or not she had hallucinated the sloth sound. "Umm… Nora? Are you okay?" asked Jaune, concern growing as the girl continued gazing into nothingness.

"Grrraaawww! Grrraaawww!"

 _Okay, I DEFINITELY didn't hallucinate that!_ Nora thought, her head whipping back as she looked up at the tree behind her, she let out a chuckle earning a quizzical stare from Jaune. "I can't believe it…" she said mid-laugh, Jaune's curious eyes narrowed as he questioned the girl's sanity. She peered back to her partner and, seeing his look just pointed up at one of the branches on the trees as if expecting Jaune to understand. "Who knew SLOTHS were native to the Emerald Forest!" she finally said when Jaune's look of bewilderment failed to disappear before bursting into another fit of laughter.

Jaune began to retort but found himself at an absolute loss for words; instead he just ended up mumbling incoherently until Nora interrupted him. "So, you're my new partner huh?" she asked sincerely whilst wiping tears from her ears, snapping the blonde back to reality. He just nodded in response. _Well, it isn't Ren… but Jaune's nice, Jaune's funny… he's even good in a fight._ "I wonder where Ren is then." She asked absentmindedly, casting another glance at the sloth that lazily slumped itself across a tree branch.

* * *

Pyrrha let out a relieved sigh followed by a frustrated groan. This marked the second time she'd been saved in the last… she paused to think as she realised she had no idea how long she was out. Her attention was brought back to the matter at hand as she heard a groan; Ren was struggling against one of the heads, his vibrant magenta aura pushing against the bared fangs of the Taijitu's white head.

He was also running out of time as the second head recovered from the kick the boy had delivered to it when he arrived. On closer inspection Pyrrha noticed that Ren seemed strangely relaxed, one eye was trained on the second head and he had a sly smile on his face. As the second head struck he gripped the fangs of the first and whipped the head to his right, the fangs were wrenched straight from the Taijitu's first mouth with a sick crunch and an even sicker squelch was heard as the Taijitu sank its second pair of fangs into its own hide.

The excitable boy leapt into the air, both fangs in his grasp before forcefully launching one of them at the Taijitu's still connected heads. It pierced straight through with the excess momentum sending the heads careening to the floor. Before they could recover Ren turned to the cliff edge they were next to. _Wait I landed next to the cliff?_ Pyrrha asked herself.

Her confusion turned to awe however as she watched Ren jam the second razor-sharp fang into the cliff's side and deliver a powerful strike to the top of the fang. It easily broke into the mountain side and an explosion followed shortly thereafter blowing a massive hole in the cliff's face, the avalanche raining down atop the Taijitu squashing it beneath its rubble. "Whoa…" she said at a loss for words. _And he doesn't even look tired either!_ "How did you do that?" she asked incredulously and wide-eyed whilst struggling to her feet, a spare hand clutching at her ribs.

Ren let out a chuckle and swatted a piece of stray rock from his shoulder before his eyes narrowed on the redhead. _She really doesn't know, does she?_ "Do you… know what aura is?" he asked hesitantly, curiously, accusingly.

"Of course!" Pyrrha shouted back without a second thought. She walked over to Milo which absently lay several feet away from her. _Of course, it must have come loose when I landed._ Pyrrha reasoned with herself before gripping the xiphos. "Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It bears our burdens and shields our hearts." She finally said as she turned back to face her new partner.

"Oh thank God…" Ren said relieved: a textbook definition is still a definition. Before he could follow up Pyrrha got red-faced, her head dropped as she took a great interest in the ground; her voice lowered and she became suddenly a little shy.

"It's just… mine never activated, I don't know why but-" the girl trailed off and Ren's face softened, a frown appeared and his eye brows furrowed as he looked at his partner. "I've never even SEEN someone use aura before, my classmates back at Sanctum refused to use there's, they pitied me-" Ren let out a contemplative hum as he edged closer to Pyrrha, casually stepping by the squashed snake Grimm. "I-I never knew it could be THAT powerful…"

Pyrrha sounded sorrowful and it tugged at Ren's heart strings. He couldn't imagine not being able to control his aura; it essentially defined him as a fighter. His hands began to subconsciously rub against his thighs as he took a nervous step forward. "I could activate it for-" he attempted to offer but was immediately could off.

"NO!" spat Pyrrha venomously, the air of finality that surrounded that one word caused Ren to flinch and the girl let out a sigh as she saw his reaction, instantly kicking herself for the outburst. "I'm sorry, it's just…" she let the sentence fade there, Ren knew that she wasn't mad at him; and that was all he needed to know right now.

Nevertheless she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave him a smile. "Now come on partner, we've got a temple to find." Ren looked up and gave a quick nod before dashing off in a seemingly random direction. Pyrrha cast one last glance to the decimated Taijitu. _THAT is what hunters need to be capable of… THAT is what I need to be capable of…_

* * *

Nora didn't want to even guess how much time she and Jaune had spent together lost in the forest, she could've swore she'd seen that broken tree stump six times already, but she didn't; it was equally likely that every student just plain hated trees. She'd seen seven or eight use them as part of their landing strategy, her very own partner included. "What about this?" Jaune asked pulling her from her thoughts; he was walking over to what appeared to be a cave; one that didn't look natural in its formation.

Nora rushed to his side, her eyes lingering on the art engraved just to the right of the entrance. What looked to be dried blood, or perhaps just a darker coloured ore stored within the rock formation, depicted a scene of around a dozen stick figures poking, stabbing and shooting a scorpion in a desperate attempt to make it flee. Nora preferred the second idea that the darker, slightly redder colouration was either a different mineral, or a result of natural decay.

She also shot Jaune an incredulous look, how had she heard so much about how good a fighter Jaune was? It was abundantly clearly this wasn't the temple… not the least obvious of their clues being that the cave looked nothing like the ruins of a temple. "I don't think this is it…" she said humouring the valiant and incredibly warrior.

"And why wouldn't it be?" he shot back, challenging Nora's doubts… or at least he would have challenged her doubts if she had any.

She rolled her eyes but managed to hide her exhaustion as she pointed to the wall beside the dark hole. "Look at the wall Jaune; I think a Deathstalker was trapped in there…"

"Pfft" was Jaune's response, punctuated by an animated arm pushing away thin air, telling Nora that Jaune believed she was being too cautious and worry some. "That could mean anything, besides if it WAS chased in there then it'll have starved by now." Nora just gazed at him from under half-lidded eyes, her posture telling him that she didn't believe him. Jaune let out a sigh and pulled his scabbard from his belt at which point it transformed into a shield. He spun on the spot, the shield slamming loudly into the cave's mouth; the echoes audibly travelling into the tunnel.

Nora tensed, waiting nervously for several seconds in a suspenseful silence. After a minute had passed with little happening Jaune shrugged and stepped forward, proclaiming that he was the victor of their little argument. "See, I told you: nothing to worry about…" Nora still looked unconvinced, and still looked ready to fight, her grenade launcher trained on the cave entrance. "We might as well investigate it Nora, we're lost anyways; what reason do we have NOT to?"

As if on cue, and much to the minor amusement of Nora the duo heard a shriek come from within the structure. Jaune gulped earning a chuckle from Nora which quickly faded as they heard something moving quickly within the cave, coming right towards them. Fear gripped Nora as the side of the structure exploded, debris showering down upon them. "Jaune move!" she shouted but it was too late; the Deathstalker had already twisted itself around and slammed its tail into Jaune blasting him into the air.

As much as she wanted to worry about Jaune, Nora had her own issues; namely the angry Deathstalker that just had its hibernation cycle cut short. She felt less guilty when she realised that Jaune probably had higher odds of survival, that same realisation made her go weak at the knees, her arms dropped bringing Magnhild with them. The Deathstalker pierced the air with a murderous growl. "Heh heh heh..." began Nora quickly throwing Magnhild onto her back. "Ugh…" The Deathstalker screamed again and the once hesitating Nora took off into the forest; the aptly named Deathstalker barrelling after her.

* * *

Yang couldn't believe it; twice now had she threw caution to the wind when it came to talking to people, and twice had it felt entirely natural, entirely normal. She'd been speaking to Ruby for a short while now and it felt almost exactly like she was speaking to Blake. It was far from perfect, she still stumbled over her words whenever she failed to recognise sarcasm and blushed at every tease or joke, but it was something. It was more than the bumbling wreck she had been yesterday at the very least.

"So to cut a long story short, I came here with Weiss because well…" Ruby's lips stretched into a frown as she walked side by side with Yang, the blonde noticed the change out of the corner of her eye but didn't say anything. "She's the only person I really have..." the redhead let out a sigh as they began climbing up a short hill. "She's given me everything, the least I can do is keep her safe." Yang awkwardly extended an arm out, letting it drape across Ruby's back.

Ruby felt the heavy weight of the arm push down her slightly; the intention was to comfort and Ruby appreciated to the thought but, at the same time Yang clearly wasn't comfortable her. Her arm was tensed, her tough muscles making it difficult for Ruby to relax against it. "Lord knows no one else will…" Ruby added sorrowfully.

Yang's arm retreated from the redhead for a second, she never expected to wince at such words but they struck a chord with her. _Fifteen year old girls are supposed to be cheerful and innocent…_ The thought was brought to an end at the realisation that Yang herself wasn't cheerful… or innocent… when she Ruby's age. She let out a sigh of her own.

"Well by the end of today Ruby, your sister will have three more people who will be willing to do the self-same thing you are for her." She liked it when she was giving advice, liked it when she could play leader; it was easy to speak when people just listened, when she didn't need to worry about reactions or even have to think about what to say. She let out a nervous hum as she found the rest of the words to her little mini pep talk. "Uh… And Weiss is a umm, nice girl, I'm sure she'll make plenty of friends."

Her confidence returned as she got back to the textbook advice and motivational speeches. "I don't know much about you two but, if you were alone back then, then you won't be anymore, you've got friends all around you, friends who will do anything and everything to protect and support you; you just haven't met them yet." It was what Lily used to always say when trying to convince her to socialise. She had to admit: today had certainly proven her old friend right. She gave Ruby who was deep in contemplative thought a small smile before looking ahead, the smile widening as she laid eyes upon the temple ruins. "Where here."

* * *

"I guess we should probably pick one." Ruby speculated whilst perusing the "relics" that stood proud on their pedestals of broken columns. Her eyes lingered over a golden horse, the sight of such a majestic piece brought a smile to her face.

"Yeah but umm... I don't know which one." Yang replied, her own eyes falling upon the second white knight piece. "Umm... how about a cute little-" Yang began whilst turning to face her partner, white knight piece in her hands. Her eyes met Ruby's and the two shared a smile when they noticed that both were gripping the same relic.

Ruby placed hers back on the pedestal as Yang slotted the second horse piece into the pocket on her belt that previously stored bandages. "I wonder why there's two of every piece..." Ruby asked, not expecting an answer. She took note of the fact that two golden castles, known as Rooks in the board game they'd been ripped from, also remained though most other pieces were gone. "I guess we weren't the first ones-"

Both girls' attention was drawn to a cry from above, Ruby and Yang looked towards the sky, their eyes widening as they saw Pyrrha and Ren falling towards them. "HEADS UP!"


	6. Crazy Occurrences

_How did I let him to talk me into this?_ To Pyrrha that was the million lien question, and the more she thought about it the less she could find an answer. When she and Ren ended up lost in the forest whilst searching for the temple ruins and the relics, Ren thought it would be a good idea to board a Nevermore and get a literal bird's eye view of the forest they were fighting through. This meant that the duo were now nearly a thousand feet in the sky, their bare knuckles pasty white in colour as they gripped tightly to a talon each. Pyrrha could see the tell-tale lilac of her partner's aura activating and deactivating giving him short bursts of strength that helped him maintain his hold.

Unfortunately for Pyrrha she agreed to Ren's insane plan BEFORE she thought to ask if he had an exit plan. She learned fifteen seconds ago that he didn't… "I TRUSTED YOU!" she shouted above the howling wind that blasted her in the face and caused her crimson red hair to billow freely behind her.

Ren's head was facing the ground, his eyes scanning the immediate vicinity in search of the ruins. He had to admit, he never expected the vibrant colours of the forest to be completely drowned out by a sea of evergreen when it was looked down upon from the sky, but it was. There were flashes of dirt, water, explosions and cliff tops, but for the most part all Ren could see was the canopy of the trees. "WE'LL BE FINE, STOP WORRYING!" he reassured his partner at the top of his lungs.

Unfortunately for him, Pyrrha made the mistake of following his gaze, her eyes widened and she swallowed hard as she finally realised exactly HOW high they were. "PARDON MY DOUBTS BUT I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF MY INSIDES REDECORATING THE FOREST!" Pyrrha shuddered at her own dark joke which resulted in her grip loosening slightly; she gulped as she now hung precariously from an angry Nevermore's talon.

"WELL THAT'S A SMALL PROBLEM!" Ren called back to the redhead mere feet away. He'd have probably deafened her if nature wasn't trying to beat him to it.

Pyrrha cringed at hearing those words. A cold chill ran down her spine as fear gripped her even tighter still. Fear that waged war with her curiosity as she struggled to decide whether she wanted to ask her next question. In the end curiosity won, something Pyrrha found ironic considering that she was a cat Faunus; _a jungle cat is still a cat_. "WHY!?" she called back.

Ren's gaze suddenly become very direct… namely at everything that WASN'T Pyrrha. "I THINK I CAN SEE THE TEMPLE FROM HERE!" he called back before hesitating again, he knew Pyrrha was going to hate what he was about to make her do. "WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO JUMP!"

Pyrrha's world shattered upon hearing those words. Though she admitted that she should have seen them coming she was also in utter disbelief. _Did Ren miss the part where we go bumpity, bumpity, bumpity, bumpity splat!? He's got to be kidding right? He's kidding…_ she swallowed the lump in her throat and looked back up to Ren. "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KID-" she began, but before she could finish her partner suddenly released his grip and began to plummet back down to Remnant at terminal velocity.

Pyrrha closed her eyes and let out a sigh before following suit. And just like that she was falling to her death for the second time in one day. Somehow, somewhere in the deepest recesses of her mind the redhead found herself half-heartedly wishing that there was a second, less desirable way of dying right now. _At least that way being killed by the fall would have been a bright side._

She twisted and spun uncontrollably in the air as she fell towards the ground, a highlight reel of blue and green filled her vision before she finally straightened herself up, her eyes widening as she saw a familiar black and red figure staring at an older girl clad in yellow and brown… and they were standing right about the spot where she was going to land.

"HEADS UP!" she called out below and the duo peered up, their eyes widening as Pyrrha barrelled towards them. In amongst the chaos Pyrrha heard another scream, one that wasn't heard and sounded far too masculine to be human. And then she felt something slam hard into her and was sent careening into the treeline. _Great not this again…_ she complained internally before she smashed into a tree and blacked out again.

Out of the corner of her eye she could spy Ren, also mid-fall, however he was letting out a near war cry and had a wide grin on his face as fell into the trees. As he entered the canopy his twin bladed SMGs materialised from his sleeves and he loosed a stream of bullets to slow his descent before flipping forward. The blades jammed into one of the many trees and for a single split second he slid down the trunk, Stormflower carving into the bark. He steadied his feet against the trunk and kicked off before corkscrewing in mid-air and stabbing another tree with his weapons of choice.

He repeated this several times until he was mere feet from the ground at which point he kicked off of the tree and, this time, transitioned the momentum into a forward's roll. "Nailed it." he called as he came back up on the balls of his heels. His gaze immediately fell to Pyrrha whom, alongside Jaune, disappeared into the trees.

"Did-did that really just happen?" he heard a feminine voice ask rhetorically. Ren's head whipped around and he caught a glimpse of a young girl, her head was tilted to the side, her cheek almost resting on her shoulder. Her silver eyes were narrow as she stared at the hole in the treeline that Jaune and Pyrrha had left behind. "Was that a thing?" Behind her was an older girl with a lush mane of golden hair; her mouth was opening and closing almost comically as she was rendered speechless.

Pyrrha's vision swam as she came to; she could've sworn she could see baby chickens dancing around in a circle, forming a halo atop her head. As her senses recovered and her vision cleared she heard the sound of a throat clearing. She peered around and frowned upon seeing no one. _I could've sworn it sounded like Jaune was right-_ her head rose and eventually her sights fell upon the blonde in question, hanging upside from a tree which he appeared to be tangled in. She couldn't suppress the smile upon seeing the great Jaune Arc in such a position.

"Umm… hi Pyrrha" Jaune greeted sheepishly a light shade of pink coating his cheeks, a clear sign that his pride was damaged from whatever had happened to him. Pyrrha's small smile turned into a grin as she struggled to her feet. She took a strange solace in feeling the searing pain in her back and chest. Pain was good, she welcomed it, it meant she was alive.

A short while later and Ren, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ruby and Yang had reconvened by the ruined temple. The former four had all exchanged greetings where necessary whilst Yang, even for her standards, was strangely distant and antisocial. Upon closer inspection Ren could see that she was inexplicably tense, he could sense the minor frustration that radiated off of her. An explosion off in the distance reminded everyone about the mission and an Ursa Major crashed into the ground a mere few feet away leaving a small crater. "What was that?" asked Jaune whilst Yang's heavy breathing turned into angry growls.

"Umm Yang you may want to calm down." offered Ruby calmly, the blonde's face turned ever so slightly and Yang's irises flashed from purple to red and back again. Ruby's attempts to calm the blonde were brought to an abrupt end when the ground shook and Jaune immediately remembered that his partner was being chased by a Deathstalker. Not in the least because she burst out from the treeline, an enraged Deathstalker a short distance behind her decimating every last tree she passed.

Yang took a single glance at the bizarre scene and growled, Ruby reminded Yang to calm down but it was fruitless and the blonde exploded, literally. A fiery explosion centred from Yang causing Pyrrha, Jaune and Ruby to dive to the ground for safety. Ren was caught in the blast and thrown off of his feet, stunning him. "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! CAN EVERYONE JUST CHILL FOR FIVE SECONDS BEFORE SOMETHING CRAZY HAPPENS AGAIN!?" she yelled seeming almost feral as Ruby appeared next to her.

Yang frowned upon seeing the scared looks on the faces of Pyrrha and Jaune, and upon seeing Ren squirming in pain on the ground. She threw her head against the chest of Ruby. The younger girl, with no idea of what to do, simply resorted to stroking her partner's golden tresses. She found herself revelling the feeling of her partner's soft, yellow curls and heard the girl mew contentedly as her breathing slowed.

"What on Remnant is going on here?" Yang and Ruby jumped apart from one another, both recognising the voice of Blake Belladonna from a mile away. It wasn't the tone in her shout, if anything the shock in her voice was humorous, no it was the simple fact that Blake was snarky and sarcastic even without having anything to tease you about.

"OH MY SISTER IS SO CUTE!" cooed Weiss joyously before crushing Ruby in a tight bear hug. Ruby didn't bother trying to struggle free. Weiss was seldom like this, her older sister usually preferred to keep the over-the-top sisterly stuff to a bare minimum, and it was nice to see Weiss so excited. However her lungs were less understanding of the situation, they liked oxygen, and tended not to take too kindly to being starved of it.

"Crushing… lungs… can't… breathe." Ruby choked out comically much to the amusement of Blake and Yang. Weiss immediately released her sister and apologised to her.

Blake's eyes met Yang's and the raven-haired rogue took note of the fact that Yang seemed a little more reserved than usual… almost guilty even. "So, are we going to pick a relic or what?" she announced trying to get everyone back to the matter of hand, however she couldn't help but add "Ruby and Yang have reservations for eight." which caused Yang's face to burn a crimson red. _She's way too easy…_

"Umm, shouldn't we help Nora first?" reminded Jaune gently, everyone's eyes fixing back onto the redhead who was now running around in a circle, a Deathstalker ever so slowly closing in on the likely tired girl.

"Oh yeah… right… yes we should." Agreed Blake, she really hadn't even noticed the creature of Grimm, or his attempts at crushing one of her fellow students.

"Nora?" asked Ren as he finally recovered, Yang gave him an apologetic smile which he ignored as he searched frantically for his best friend. "NORA!" he shouted upon seeing the redhead dive into the air, a pincer barely missing her heel as she did so. Before anyone else could react, the hyperactive sloth Faunus dashed off in the direction of the scorpion Grimm.

"Wait Ren, there's no way you can defeat that thing on your own!" shouted Pyrrha after him, a warning that fell on deaf ears. The Nevermore that had been passively patrolling the skies flapped its wings and loosed a barrage of spear-like feathers towards Ren. He weaved in between them with a practised ease without losing any momentum; however he had to roll away from the very last feather and found himself getting smacked by one of the Deathstalker's pincers.

"REN!" called out Nora as she turned to defend her friend. Before she could even attempt to save Ren's life she found herself being pushed to the ground and a single eye blink later Ren was scooped out from under the Deathstalker too, its pincer slamming harmlessly into an after image of Blake. In getting Ren and Nora to safety Blake found herself a little too close to the creature and couldn't avoid the follow up swipe in time. Her body was racked with pain as she was slammed into the ground. She peered up at the Deathstalker tail as he raised into the air, the enraged beast screeched at her before bringing down its most lethal weapon.

Within seconds a white blur whizzed past Blake and she heard an explosion of ice erupt from the ground and encase the Deathstalker's stinger and right pincer, rendering it helpless. "Okay… that was pretty impressive." Blake commended as she finally managed to focus on her partner. Weiss yanked her rapier from the ground and reached out a hand to Blake which the girl took gratefully. "I think I owe you an-"

"Stop." Said Weiss with an air of finality, Blake paused in her attempts to apologise and she just listened. "As much as you feel like I'm going to be a burden to you Blake, as little as you seem to be able trust me, and regardless of whether or not you like that we are doing this, we ARE going to have to do this together."

"Weiss I-"

"I said stop." Weiss reminded pointedly, cutting off her partner. "Whether or not you want to trust me with your life, you're going to have to. You can't do this alone." Weiss turned to face Ren and Nora who were now hugging. "None of us can. That's why we are paired up, that's why we have teammates." She turned back to Blake and cast a single glance back to the struggling Deathstalker before continuing. "You may not want to Blake, but you're going to have to trust me to have your back when it counts. And I just want you to know that I can do this."

Blake's gaze fell to the floor and she let out a sigh. "I know... I'm sorry about earlier, I really shouldn't have come down that hard on you. But I can't promise it won't happen again… It's gonna take some time before I can say I'll trust you…"

Weiss's eyes narrowed curiously at Blake, the mysterious girl was becoming increasingly intriguing and secretive by the minute. Blake waited patiently though couldn't disguise her discomfort at Weiss's penetrating gaze. Eventually the heiress's expression softened and she smiled. "One chance is all I'll need Blake, you'll see."

Blake returned her smile, though unlike Weiss's it wasn't genuine, and the black beauty knew the ivory princess had caught on to that fact. She breathed a sigh of relief when Weiss chose to let it slide. _For my sake Weiss, I hope so too…_

The second they were back at the temple ruins Ren, Blake and Weiss were berated; Ren by his partner, Weiss by her sister and Blake by Yang. Every conversation started with "Don't you ever do that again!" Nora was the only returning party member who instead of being scolded, was the one doing the scolding. Everyone apologised, Ruby and Weiss hugged and Yang gave Blake another playful jab to the arm, something Blake expected to become a common recurrence until the day that Yang finds a dictionary and, with it, better ways of articulating herself to others.

"So these relics, you and Yang have one; what are they about?" asked Weiss, genuinely uncertain about whether or not these supposed artefacts actually served a purpose.

Ruby shrugged in response before answering innocently and cutely. "I don't know, I don't think they do anything. Yang and I got a cute little pony!" Weiss failed to stifle a laugh and basked in the remnants of Ruby's immaturity. She really was still an adorable little girl in many ways. Ways that often brought a frown to Weiss's face and left her distraught with worrying, but right now it only brought her happiness.

"What do you think Blake?" Weiss called out, turning to look at her partner.

Blake was looking at a black bishop piece and glanced over before shrugging her shoulders. "Sure." She said, a smile adorning her face for reasons she couldn't quite explain and didn't care to try. Instead she opted to stroll over to the remaining white knight piece and grasped it in her hand before joining the sisters. She caught the eyes of Yang who was sat with back against one of the pillar. "I told you we'd see each other in the forest."

"So there's two of each?" asked Ren interrupting the four girls. "I wonder if that means anything…"

"Didn't they say teams would be made of four students each?" asked Pyrrha despite knowing the answer to the question. Yang confirmed it pointlessly anyways. "Maybe that's how we're assigned our other two team members…" Ruby and Weiss and Blake and Yang each exchanged knowing smiles of contained excitement at the prospect.

"Then Nora, if you pick the white rook and I pick the white rook we could end up on the same team!"

The group's speculation was brought to an end by Jaune who had one hand pointing to the sky. "The Nevermore's making another pass." Without thinking Ren and Nora each clawed at the rook pieces and nodded to each other.

After a brief debate about whether or not they should run to the cliffs or to stay and fight, which was entirely pointless since EVERYONE immediately crumbled when Ruby pulled out the puppy dog eyes whilst reminding them that there was no reason to senselessly slaughter the pair of titans, the group dashed off. Yang and Ren took point with the blonde throwing herself back into the commander's role and getting everyone on the mvoe. Ruby was on Yang's left flank perched atop a rock, guarding watchfully over the older students.

Blake found herself rooted to the spot, just staring at the redhead as the rest of the group headed back to the cliffs. She was torn from her thoughts by Weiss "She tends to have that effect on people." The heiress said whilst sidling up next to her partner. Blake turned her head to face the other girl and hummed, non-verbally asking Weiss to elaborate. The elder Schnee sister obliged "Ruby gets that look all the time." she explained proudly.

"She really is something special isn't she?" asked Blake.

"Yup…" replied Weiss before letting out a sigh "Though sometimes I wonder if that's a good or a bad thing…"

Blake was contemplating whether or not to reassure Weiss about her sister when the Deathstalker escaped, ice shards showering down upon itself as it barrelled towards the stationary duo. "Come on, we gotta go." Blake said, her hand gripping her partner's wrist and pulling her forward. The race back to the cliff top was on, and no one could afford to lose.

 _How did I let him to talk me into this?_ To Pyrrha that was the million lien question, and the more she thought about it the less she could find an answer. When she and Ren ended up lost in the forest whilst searching for the temple ruins and the relics, Ren thought it would be a good idea to board a Nevermore and get a literal bird's eye view of the forest they were fighting through. This meant that the duo were now nearly a thousand feet in the sky, their bare knuckles pasty white in colour as they gripped tightly to a talon each. Pyrrha could see the tell-tale lilac of her partner's aura activating and deactivating giving him short bursts of strength that helped him maintain his hold.

Unfortunately for Pyrrha she agreed to Ren's insane plan BEFORE she thought to ask if he had an exit plan. She learned fifteen seconds ago that he didn't… "I TRUSTED YOU!" she shouted above the howling wind that blasted her in the face and caused her crimson red hair to billow freely behind her.

Ren's head was facing the ground, his eyes scanning the immediate vicinity in search of the ruins. He had to admit, he never expected the vibrant colours of the forest to be completely drowned out by a sea of evergreen when it was looked down upon from the sky, but it was. There were flashes of dirt, water, explosions and cliff tops, but for the most part all Ren could see was the canopy of the trees. "WE'LL BE FINE, STOP WORRYING!" he reassured his partner at the top of his lungs.

Unfortunately for him, Pyrrha made the mistake of following his gaze, her eyes widened and she swallowed hard as she finally realised exactly HOW high they were. "PARDON MY DOUBTS BUT I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF MY INSIDES REDECORATING THE FOREST!" Pyrrha shuddered at her own dark joke which resulted in her grip loosening slightly; she gulped as she now hung precariously from an angry Nevermore's talon.

"WELL THAT'S A SMALL PROBLEM!" Ren called back to the redhead mere feet away. He'd have probably deafened her if nature wasn't trying to beat him to it.

Pyrrha cringed at hearing those words. A cold chill ran down her spine as fear gripped her even tighter still. Fear that waged war with her curiosity as she struggled to decide whether she wanted to ask her next question. In the end curiosity won, something Pyrrha found ironic considering that she was a cat Faunus; _a jungle cat is still a cat_. "WHY!?" she called back.

Ren's gaze suddenly become very direct… namely at everything that WASN'T Pyrrha. "I THINK I CAN SEE THE TEMPLE FROM HERE!" he called back before hesitating again, he knew Pyrrha was going to hate what he was about to make her do. "WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO JUMP!"

Pyrrha's world shattered upon hearing those words. Though she admitted that she should have seen them coming she was also in utter disbelief. _Did Ren miss the part where we go bumpity, bumpity, bumpity, bumpity splat!? He's got to be kidding right? He's kidding…_ she swallowed the lump in her throat and looked back up to Ren. "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KID-" she began, but before she could finish her partner suddenly released his grip and began to plummet back down to Remnant at terminal velocity.

Pyrrha closed her eyes and let out a sigh before following suit. And just like that she was falling to her death for the second time in one day. Somehow, somewhere in the deepest recesses of her mind the redhead found herself half-heartedly wishing that there was a second, less desirable way of dying right now. _At least that way being killed by the fall would have been a bright side._

She twisted and spun uncontrollably in the air as she fell towards the ground, a highlight reel of blue and green filled her vision before she finally straightened herself up, her eyes widening as she saw a familiar black and red figure staring at an older girl clad in yellow and brown… and they were standing right about the spot where she was going to land.

"HEADS UP!" she called out below and the duo peered up, their eyes widening as Pyrrha barrelled towards them. In amongst the chaos Pyrrha heard another scream, one that wasn't heard and sounded far too masculine to be human. And then she felt something slam hard into her and was sent careening into the treeline. _Great not this again…_ she complained internally before she smashed into a tree and blacked out again.

Out of the corner of her eye she could spy Ren, also mid-fall, however he was letting out a near war cry and had a wide grin on his face as fell into the trees. As he entered the canopy his twin bladed SMGs materialised from his sleeves and he loosed a stream of bullets to slow his descent before flipping forward. The blades jammed into one of the many trees and for a single split second he slid down the trunk, Stormflower carving into the bark. He steadied his feet against the trunk and kicked off before corkscrewing in mid-air and stabbing another tree with his weapons of choice.

He repeated this several times until he was mere feet from the ground at which point he kicked off of the tree and, this time, transitioned the momentum into a forward's roll. "Nailed it." he called as he came back up on the balls of his heels. His gaze immediately fell to Pyrrha whom, alongside Jaune, disappeared into the trees.

"Did-did that really just happen?" he heard a feminine voice ask rhetorically. Ren's head whipped around and he caught a glimpse of a young girl, her head was tilted to the side, her cheek almost resting on her shoulder. Her silver eyes were narrow as she stared at the hole in the treeline that Jaune and Pyrrha had left behind. "Was that a thing?" Behind her was an older girl with a lush mane of golden hair; her mouth was opening and closing almost comically as she was rendered speechless.

Pyrrha's vision swam as she came to; she could've sworn she could see baby chickens dancing around in a circle, forming a halo atop her head. As her senses recovered and her vision cleared she heard the sound of a throat clearing. She peered around and frowned upon seeing no one. _I could've sworn it sounded like Jaune was right-_ her head rose and eventually her sights fell upon the blonde in question, hanging upside from a tree which he appeared to be tangled in. She couldn't suppress the smile upon seeing the great Jaune Arc in such a position.

"Umm… hi Pyrrha" Jaune greeted sheepishly a light shade of pink coating his cheeks, a clear sign that his pride was damaged from whatever had happened to him. Pyrrha's small smile turned into a grin as she struggled to her feet. She took a strange solace in feeling the searing pain in her back and chest. Pain was good, she welcomed it, it meant she was alive.

A short while later and Ren, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ruby and Yang had reconvened by the ruined temple. The former four had all exchanged greetings where necessary whilst Yang, even for her standards, was strangely distant and antisocial. Upon closer inspection Ren could see that she was inexplicably tense, he could sense the minor frustration that radiated off of her. An explosion off in the distance reminded everyone about the mission and an Ursa Major crashed into the ground a mere few feet away leaving a small crater. "What was that?" asked Jaune whilst Yang's heavy breathing turned into angry growls.

"Umm Yang you may want to calm down." offered Ruby calmly, the blonde's face turned ever so slightly and Yang's irises flashed from purple to red and back again. Ruby's attempts to calm the blonde were brought to an abrupt end when the ground shook and Jaune immediately remembered that his partner was being chased by a Deathstalker. Not in the least because she burst out from the treeline, an enraged Deathstalker a short distance behind her decimating every last tree she passed.

Yang took a single glance at the bizarre scene and growled, Ruby reminded Yang to calm down but it was fruitless and the blonde exploded, literally. A fiery explosion centred from Yang causing Pyrrha, Jaune and Ruby to dive to the ground for safety. Ren was caught in the blast and thrown off of his feet, stunning him. "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! CAN EVERYONE JUST CHILL FOR FIVE SECONDS BEFORE SOMETHING CRAZY HAPPENS AGAIN!?" she yelled seeming almost feral as Ruby appeared next to her.

Yang frowned upon seeing the scared looks on the faces of Pyrrha and Jaune, and upon seeing Ren squirming in pain on the ground. She threw her head against the chest of Ruby. The younger girl, with no idea of what to do, simply resorted to stroking her partner's golden tresses. She found herself revelling the feeling of her partner's soft, yellow curls and heard the girl mew contentedly as her breathing slowed.

"What on Remnant is going on here?" Yang and Ruby jumped apart from one another, both recognising the voice of Blake Belladonna from a mile away. It wasn't the tone in her shout, if anything the shock in her voice was humorous, no it was the simple fact that Blake was snarky and sarcastic even without having anything to tease you about.

"OH MY SISTER IS SO CUTE!" cooed Weiss joyously before crushing Ruby in a tight bear hug. Ruby didn't bother trying to struggle free. Weiss was seldom like this, her older sister usually preferred to keep the over-the-top sisterly stuff to a bare minimum, and it was nice to see Weiss so excited. However her lungs were less understanding of the situation, they liked oxygen, and tended not to take too kindly to being starved of it.

"Crushing… lungs… can't… breathe." Ruby choked out comically much to the amusement of Blake and Yang. Weiss immediately released her sister and apologised to her.

Blake's eyes met Yang's and the raven-haired rogue took note of the fact that Yang seemed a little more reserved than usual… almost guilty even. "So, are we going to pick a relic or what?" she announced trying to get everyone back to the matter of hand, however she couldn't help but add "Ruby and Yang have reservations for eight." which caused Yang's face to burn a crimson red. _She's way too easy…_

"Umm, shouldn't we help Nora first?" reminded Jaune gently, everyone's eyes fixing back onto the redhead who was now running around in a circle, a Deathstalker ever so slowly closing in on the likely tired girl.

"Oh yeah… right… yes we should." Agreed Blake, she really hadn't even noticed the creature of Grimm, or his attempts at crushing one of her fellow students.

"Nora?" asked Ren as he finally recovered, Yang gave him an apologetic smile which he ignored as he searched frantically for his best friend. "NORA!" he shouted upon seeing the redhead dive into the air, a pincer barely missing her heel as she did so. Before anyone else could react, the hyperactive sloth Faunus dashed off in the direction of the scorpion Grimm.

"Wait Ren, there's no way you can defeat that thing on your own!" shouted Pyrrha after him, a warning that fell on deaf ears. The Nevermore that had been passively patrolling the skies flapped its wings and loosed a barrage of spear-like feathers towards Ren. He weaved in between them with a practised ease without losing any momentum; however he had to roll away from the very last feather and found himself getting smacked by one of the Deathstalker's pincers.

"REN!" called out Nora as she turned to defend her friend. Before she could even attempt to save Ren's life she found herself being pushed to the ground and a single eye blink later Ren was scooped out from under the Deathstalker too, its pincer slamming harmlessly into an after image of Blake. In getting Ren and Nora to safety Blake found herself a little too close to the creature and couldn't avoid the follow up swipe in time. Her body was racked with pain as she was slammed into the ground. She peered up at the Deathstalker tail as he raised into the air, the enraged beast screeched at her before bringing down its most lethal weapon.

Within seconds a white blur whizzed past Blake and she heard an explosion of ice erupt from the ground and encase the Deathstalker's stinger and right pincer, rendering it helpless. "Okay… that was pretty impressive." Blake commended as she finally managed to focus on her partner. Weiss yanked her rapier from the ground and reached out a hand to Blake which the girl took gratefully. "I think I owe you an-"

"Stop." Said Weiss with an air of finality, Blake paused in her attempts to apologise and she just listened. "As much as you feel like I'm going to be a burden to you Blake, as little as you seem to be able trust me, and regardless of whether or not you like that we are doing this, we ARE going to have to do this together."

"Weiss I-"

"I said stop." Weiss reminded pointedly, cutting off her partner. "Whether or not you want to trust me with your life, you're going to have to. You can't do this alone." Weiss turned to face Ren and Nora who were now hugging. "None of us can. That's why we are paired up, that's why we have teammates." She turned back to Blake and cast a single glance back to the struggling Deathstalker before continuing. "You may not want to Blake, but you're going to have to trust me to have your back when it counts. And I just want you to know that I can do this."

Blake's gaze fell to the floor and she let out a sigh. "I know... I'm sorry about earlier, I really shouldn't have come down that hard on you. But I can't promise it won't happen again… It's gonna take some time before I can say I'll trust you…"

Weiss's eyes narrowed curiously at Blake, the mysterious girl was becoming increasingly intriguing and secretive by the minute. Blake waited patiently though couldn't disguise her discomfort at Weiss's penetrating gaze. Eventually the heiress's expression softened and she smiled. "One chance is all I'll need Blake, you'll see."

Blake returned her smile, though unlike Weiss's it wasn't genuine, and the black beauty knew the ivory princess had caught on to that fact. She breathed a sigh of relief when Weiss chose to let it slide. _For my sake Weiss, I hope so too…_

The second they were back at the temple ruins Ren, Blake and Weiss were berated; Ren by his partner, Weiss by her sister and Blake by Yang. Every conversation started with "Don't you ever do that again!" Nora was the only returning party member who instead of being scolded, was the one doing the scolding. Everyone apologised, Ruby and Weiss hugged and Yang gave Blake another playful jab to the arm, something Blake expected to become a common recurrence until the day that Yang finds a dictionary and, with it, better ways of articulating herself to others.

"So these relics, you and Yang have one; what are they about?" asked Weiss, genuinely uncertain about whether or not these supposed artefacts actually served a purpose.

Ruby shrugged in response before answering innocently and cutely. "I don't know, I don't think they do anything. Yang and I got a cute little pony!" Weiss failed to stifle a laugh and basked in the remnants of Ruby's immaturity. She really was still an adorable little girl in many ways. Ways that often brought a frown to Weiss's face and left her distraught with worrying, but right now it only brought her happiness.

"What do you think Blake?" Weiss called out, turning to look at her partner.

Blake was looking at a black bishop piece and glanced over before shrugging her shoulders. "Sure." She said, a smile adorning her face for reasons she couldn't quite explain and didn't care to try. Instead she opted to stroll over to the remaining white knight piece and grasped it in her hand before joining the sisters. She caught the eyes of Yang who was sat with back against one of the pillar. "I told you we'd see each other in the forest."

"So there's two of each?" asked Ren interrupting the four girls. "I wonder if that means anything…"

"Didn't they say teams would be made of four students each?" asked Pyrrha despite knowing the answer to the question. Yang confirmed it pointlessly anyways. "Maybe that's how we're assigned our other two team members…" Ruby and Weiss and Blake and Yang each exchanged knowing smiles of contained excitement at the prospect.

"Then Nora, if you pick the white rook and I pick the white rook we could end up on the same team!"

The group's speculation was brought to an end by Jaune who had one hand pointing to the sky. "The Nevermore's making another pass." Without thinking Ren and Nora each clawed at the rook pieces and nodded to each other.

After a brief debate about whether or not they should run to the cliffs or to stay and fight, which was entirely pointless since EVERYONE immediately crumbled when Ruby pulled out the puppy dog eyes whilst reminding them that there was no reason to senselessly slaughter the pair of titans, the group dashed off. Yang and Ren took point with the blonde throwing herself back into the commander's role and getting everyone on the mvoe. Ruby was on Yang's left flank perched atop a rock, guarding watchfully over the older students.

Blake found herself rooted to the spot, just staring at the redhead as the rest of the group headed back to the cliffs. She was torn from her thoughts by Weiss "She tends to have that effect on people." The heiress said whilst sidling up next to her partner. Blake turned her head to face the other girl and hummed, non-verbally asking Weiss to elaborate. The elder Schnee sister obliged "Ruby gets that look all the time." she explained proudly.

"She really is something special isn't she?" asked Blake.

"Yup…" replied Weiss before letting out a sigh "Though sometimes I wonder if that's a good or a bad thing…"

Blake was contemplating whether or not to reassure Weiss about her sister when the Deathstalker escaped, ice shards showering down upon itself as it barrelled towards the stationary duo. "Come on, we gotta go." Blake said, her hand gripping her partner's wrist and pulling her forward. The race back to the cliff top was on, and no one could afford to lose.


	7. The Scar of Survival

Everything had been much calmer a short few seconds ago. Before they took off at a run the Nevermore was stalking the skies but made no effort to actually attack, likewise the Deathstalker, prior to Ruby and company's attempted fleeing, had not made any real attempts to shatter the ice that soldered it to the ground. However now they were on a battlefield. Ruby's feet slammed into the ground, she was dashing along at a pace dictated by how fast her legs could carry her. The Deathstalker was mere feet away and had been for the last twenty seconds.

She WAS in the clear. She COULD have made it across the bridge and up the cliff with ease. But Weiss was a different story. Weiss and Blake had been lagging back, watching the rear as the rest of the group made their way back towards Beacon Academy. Ruby knew that they would be safe, deep down she knew that. She'd seen Weiss in combat, her sister was an incredible fighter and Blake seemed more than capable in her own right… and besides the Deathstalker didn't WANT to kill them, Jaune already told her that they accidentally awakened it from an age long, peaceful slumber. It had no desire to kill her sister and so it wouldn't… why then was it chasing them?

Ruby swallowed back the doubt and unloaded another round from her scythe, the bullet bounced harmlessly off of the Deathstalker's hide and it kept charging forward. The recoil of the shot however blasted Ruby forward several feet and put some much needed distance in between herself and the titan that stalked her. That distance wouldn't last forever, but perhaps it would last just long enough.

The Nevermore screeched from overhead and fired another feather shot towards the eight students. Ren ducked and weaved beneath three of them whilst Jaune and Pyrrha deftly side steps the razor-sharp spears that were aimed at them. Two beowolves appeared from in amongst the trees, undoubtedly drawn by the anarchy of the situation. "Nora distract the Nevermore!" shouted Ren whilst pulling out his SMGs and opening fire on the Deathstalker. "Pyrrha, Jaune move forward and take out those Grimm." The pair nodded and dashed forward, swords drawn with intent to cut the poor creatures into ribbons.

"Nora I'm with you!" Yang shouted as she ejected a full clip of ammo from her weapon before loading in shells of a different colour. She fired off several rounds, each one homing in on the giant avian and exploding in its face doing minimal damage but slowing it down nonetheless. With the bird slowed it made Nora's job of actually hitting it with grenades much easier. The canisters fired by Magnhild had a far greater effect, even occasionally staggering the Nevermore.

"Weiss get something in between us and that Deathstalker, now!"

The heiress nodded before dashing towards where Ren was holding position. Ruby moved to join her, Crescent Rose retracting to sniper form as she fired shot after shot at the seemingly invincible Deathstalker.

Within seconds Weiss had a massive wall of ice erected and Ren took off at a sprint. Ruby, knowing her sister would be exhausted after such a move waited a second for the girl to catch her breath before activating her semblance. A second later and Ruby seemed to rematerialize next to Blake who was slicing through a third beowolf with Weiss in tow. She winced as she saw the creature fall apart and Blake gave an apologetic look before continuing the dash forward, her eyes rolling once they were out of Ruby's vision.

The Nevermore eventually decided it had had enough of Nora's grenades and flew off into the distance only for the rest of the beowolf pack to show up. Yang cast a single glance at them before looking to Ruby, the girl had Crescent Rose locked and loaded and was ready and willing to fight; her silver eyes were full of sorrow however which gave Yang pause. "Just get to the bridge, use lethal force only when necessary!"

Blake shook her head disapprovingly whilst giving Yang a sidelong glance and the blonde's gaze fell to the ground. Ruby on the other hand visibly relaxed before continuing her sprint across the open field towards the bridge. Weiss went to work alongside Pyrrha and Jaune in keeping the half a dozen beowolves at bay, Weiss using her glyphs to trap and hurl the advancing beowolves whilst Pyrrha and Jaune kept the ones that got too close busy.

"Pick up the pace guys, that Nevermore's back for Round 2!" shouted Ren whilst absentmindedly firing at a beowolf that was about to be parried by Jaune, the bullets ripping through its torso and bringing it to the ground.

Weiss shot daggers at Ren with her eyes before glancing towards Ruby; the girl was already near the bridge and thankfully didn't see. Picking up her own pace she set about catching up with Yang, who was presently rolling beneath a beowolf's swing and Blake who had already took to the skies using Gambol Shroud's kusarigama form. Within seconds Weiss could see escape in sight, she could see a way out that didn't involve subjecting Ruby to the slaughter of so many Grimm. And just like that it was snatched away.

When Weiss, Yang, Ruby, Nora and Ren were halfway across the bridge the Nevermore reappeared, soaring in from their right and smashing right through the columns holding it up. The bridge collapsed in the centre separating the five students from their three comrades. Three comrades that were suddenly placed in massive danger as the Deathstalker broke through the ice wall and continued on its rampage, now flanked by two ursi.

Weiss heard her sister gasp in horror as the five beowolves and two ursi set upon Jaune, Pyrrha and Blake whilst the Deathstalker covered what ground they had gained on it. "Ruby we need to focus on the Nevermore!" Weiss shouted whilst rotating the hilt of Myrtenaster and firing off a trio of fireballs that exploded against the bird's iron-like feathers.

"Weiss is right Ruby; we've got our own problems!" Yang added, supporting the older sister upon seeing the redhead's continued hesitation.

"It's not that…" Ruby began, her scythe falling from her grasp and clanging against the floor. The Nevermore soared back in and Yang dived from the bridge, one arm gripping the edge. Once it got close enough Yang released the edge of the bridge and fell for a single moment before firing a single shot, enough to propel her into the air and uppercut the Nevermore. The punch hurt Yang more than it did the beast but it forced the oversized crow's head up, and where the head goes, the body follows. The bird soared back up into the sky, Yang attached to its underbelly for a few short seconds before dropping back to the safety of the bridge the Nevermore had narrowly missed.

"Ruby we need your head in the game!" Yang shouted whilst casting a worried glance towards the other group.

Blake was back flipping away from a beowolf and quickly used her semblance to leap to the left and avoid the second ursa. She used the momentum to slice right through the neck of another beowolf before turning to face her original enemies. Her cleaver parried the wolf Grimm's claw before she ducked beneath the ursa and rolled away from the surrounding enemies. She drew her katana and converted it to a pistol firing shot after shot at the Deathstalker in a vain attempt to at least slow it down.

Pyrrha and Jaune were working in near tandem with the bulk of the enemies, three already lay dead much to Yang's dismay; it was turning into a massacre, a massacre she knew Weiss had been hoping to avoid. Pyrrha parried a beowolf swipe before slashing at another's paw before it could make contact with Jaune. As it paused Jaune sliced through its abdomen and dropped down by Pyrrha's exposed left flank, his shield rising to meet an ursa's paw before he cut its head off.

Pyrrha tapped Jaune on the shoulder before back rolling away from the second ursa's lunge. The creature stumbled forward, its own weight and power working against it leaving it exposed to Jaune who forced his blade through the beast's skull; the creature dropping dead. Pyrrha sliced through the other enemy left by Blake before converting her xiphos into a rifle, three shots were loosed and each one found its way into the heart of the three remaining beowolves.

Pyrrha caught a glimpse of the Deathstalker from the corner of her eye, they had been a second too slow and it was now bearing down on Blake who was doing what she could to dodge the scorpion whilst in close proximity to it.

Yang glanced back at the Nevermore that was now freefalling from the air beak first, its plan to barrel straight through the bridge. "NORA STAGGER IT AGAIN!" shouted Ren as Weiss shook Ruby. Despite her efforts to get the redhead's attention the girl still seemed to be in the shock, her eyes glued on the bodies surrounding Pyrrha and Jaune.

"Why did they attack?" she finally asked as a pink explosion appeared just on the edge of her field of vision. The Nevermore cawed angrily before taking off to the skies again.

"They're just scared Ruby, they're just protecting themselves, and we need to do the same!" Weiss said with a raised voice, desperate to pull Ruby from this stupor before it got her killed. "I NEED YOU TO!" she screamed and Ruby shook her head, a determined look appeared on her face and she gripped Crescent Rose.

"They need help!" she announced, pointing out the obvious but still earning a smile from Weiss and Yang as she began to fire shot after shot towards the Deathstalker across the chasm.

"On it" Ren called before turning to his best friend "Nora Plan S!" The girl groaned and rolled her eyes before converting Magnhild to warhammer form and leaping into the air. She came down hard on the already threatening to crumble bridge, the force of the slam causing cracks to appear on the already damaged edge. She pulled the trigger and half of what was left of the bridge shattered, Ren pushed off of the debris as Nora lined up her warhammer and pulled the trigger again.

Both she and Ren were on the other side of the chasm within the blink of an eye, Nora slamming Magnhild into the armour plating that covered the Deathstalker's body. In response the creature swung its tail in a sweeping arc, knocking Nora away and into Blake. "I wouldn't exactly call that a plan…" grumbled Yang from the other side of the chasm before her eyes widened. "BLAKE NO!" she called upon seeing the snake Faunus being knocked into the seemingly bottomless pit inadvertently by Nora.

"I wouldn't worry about her Yang." said Weiss calmly earning a death stare from Yang and a quizzical look from Ruby. She smiled at their responses as a shot was heard and Blake appeared moments later atop the Nevermore. She ran down its back and delivered a flurry of blows all down its tough feathery hide. As she reached the tail plumage she jumped off, landing next to Ruby. "Told you not to worry." commented Weiss nonchalantly and Blake cast a questioning glance to Yang who gave a nervous laugh.

"Aww, you worried about little old me? How cute…" the raven-haired girl teased before raising her head, amber eyes locking onto the still unharmed Nevermore. "That thing's tougher than most of its kind, my blades didn't even scratch it!"

"Then let's hit it with EVERYTHING we've got!" commanded Yang and each girl made the necessary adjustments to their weapons. Crescent Rose extended into scythe form giving Ruby a far easier to aim sniper rifle whilst Blake's katana switched pack to pistol form. Weiss rotated her hilt again, switching the dust from burn to freeze. Moments later a barrage of red, blue, black and yellow blasted into the Nevermore as they threw everything but the kitchen sink at the giant bird in an attempt to slow it down.

One of the cross clip rounds from Ruby managed to find its way in between two feathers and blast into the chest of the Nevermore but it even managed to shrug that off. "None of this is-"

"MOVE!" shouted Yang interrupting Weiss, the quartet leapt into the air as the Nevermore smashed through the archway that led up the cliff to Beacon. Blake landed safely and lithely within seconds with Weiss appearing next to her a short while later with equal grace. Yang and Ruby were not so lucky and had been knocked off course. They were jumping between the falling debris, Ember Celica and Crescent Rose each exhausting their clips to keep their wielders alive. It worked and within seconds Yang and Ruby were back by Blake and Weiss.

"Down to one explosive round!" called Yang as Blake kept a close eye on the Nevermore whilst her fellow fighters reloaded. She spied Weiss reaching into the bag attached to her hip and pull out a fresh vial of dust before pouring it into Myrtenaster's light blue chamber. "Weiss how much dust have you got in that bag?"

"Why?" Weiss asked hesitantly whilst absentmindedly checking.

"I think I have an idea…" replied Yang before casting a sad and guilty glance at Ruby whom nodded submissively to her partner.

On the other side of the bridge Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora and Ren were making even less progress. The shield bearers were forced almost entirely to defend, the Deathstalker's pincers not letting up on an unforgiving assault against the duo. With two fighters unavailable, Ren and Nora were left to actually damage the Deathstalker and were doing very little. Magnhild's explosions did poorly against the bone plating that protected most of its body whilst the titan was almost entirely ignoring Stormflower's well-placed shots.

Ren groaned in frustration as the Deathstalker continued to pummel down on his two flanks, his friends ensuring that the pincers never strayed past their shields. "This isn't working; we need something that can break through that armour!" And then it hit him, it really did hit him. Ren was sent careening back as the Deathstalker swung its tail forward, swiping its stinger at both him and Nora. Nora ducked beneath but Ren was blasted.

"REN!" Nora called out anxiously tearing her eyes away from the enemy. With Nora's guard down and the Deathstalker no longer distracted, it struck. The stinger slammed down upon Pyrrha, the redhead barely managing to roll to safety. With its pincer freed up it slashed horizontally, the thick and blunt object slammed into an unsuspecting Jaune's back and a flash of white light was seen, temporarily blinding Pyrrha. When the light faded Jaune was okay, in fact he barely even looked winded.

"Pyrrha, Nora switch!" commanded a recovering Ren as he re-joined the fray . The two girls swapped positions, Nora now taking it upon herself to dodge and block one of the pincers whilst Pyrrha sidled up next to her partner. "I need you to cover me whilst I find a way up to that stinger, think you can make the shot with your shield if I can sever most of the sinews connecting it?"

"Umm… maybe?" Pyrrha responded hesitantly, she really didn't know.

"Good, don't worry if you miss; we'll just need to think of something else!" Ren laughed before dashing off. Pyrrha took a kneeling stance and brought Milo to rifle form and took aim. Bullet after bullet pinged uselessly off of the Deathstalker's tough hide and yet it seemed to keep at least some of its attention. Ren was now in the danger zone, if Jaune or Nora screwed up he'd never be able to avoid the monster's sweeping attacks in time.

With its primary weapons unavailable the Deathstalker began to rely on its final and most powerful resort. Its stinger reared up as it prepared to impale the green-clad fighter. Pyrrha rose back to her feet and spun her rifle around her hand, the shape began to transform mid-rotation and soon Pyrrha was primed to launch her javelin at the monster, which she did. A last round was fired from the barrel of Milo and the spear weapon flew forward slicing straight into the Deathstalker's eye.

In its panic the Deathstalker's trained hit became sloppy and veered off course. Ren didn't even need to try and avoid it and before long he was being lifted in mid-air, Stormflower trained on the self-same stinger he was using for leverage. "Wait for a signal Pyrrha!" he shouted as the girl took the opening to retake Milo, ripping it forcefully from one of the Deathstalker's eyes.

Across the canyon Ruby was blasting away at the Nevermore whilst stood at the very end of the weak remnants of the bridge. Weiss watched on with bated breath as it swooped in looking to smash into either Ruby or the bridge. Weiss didn't know and she suspected that the avian Grimm didn't care which.

As it neared Ruby's trigger finger somehow got quicker; the moment a shell left the chamber of Crescent Rose, Ruby had already pulled the bolt back and another round dropped into its place. Ruby was managing the extraordinary feat of firing a SNIPER RIFLE at a fast moving target with the rate of fire of a standard issue pistol… and she wasn't missing a single shot.

The pitch perfect timing in which she stopped firing just as the Nevermore got close enough for Blake to swing by and gouge at its eye distracting it was just another frightening example of exactly how good Ruby could be with her laughably impractical weapon. The Nevermore as expected adjusted its arc and began to follow Blake. The raven-haired rogue was bouncing almost playfully through the air with near cat-like reflexes and perfect form. She never missed a beat, or a shadow clone, as she danced through the empty air, all the while toying with the crow to keep it focussed on her.

Blake cast a glance to her destination, the cliff's face was merely a few feet away, and the Nevermore would never have enough time to naturally change its trajectory. She gave a single tug on her ribbon and Gambol Shroud fired a single shot, the sickle came undone and both it and Blake fell to the ground. The Nevermore slammed into the side of the cliff and was stunned momentarily, falling towards Blake who dodged away using her semblance.

Before the Nevermore could recover Weiss had thrown her bag of dust capsules at Ruby and was now in leaping distance of the massive creature. With a single jump Weiss cleared what remained of the displacement and Myrtenaster cut into the rock like a needle into play dough. Ice sprouted from the blade and froze over the Nevermore's tail feathers. Next she spun her hilt and flipped open five of the six chambers, the dust within beginning to coat the Nevermore. Her white dust would be all she needed for what came next.

The Nevermore shrieked at the heiress that had trapped it and to Weiss it looked like the creature had truly began to panic. She steeled herself as Ruby suddenly appeared in the corner of her eye and launched the capsules stored within Weiss's open purse at the Nevermore. It screeched in frustration as its coat grew in size. A thick layer of red, purple, yellow, white, black and two shades of blue covered the lower half of the Grimm. And Ruby winced upon hearing the cry. Weiss sprang into action and formed a glyph beneath her feet, giving Ruby a tug and pulling her back to safety.

Yang cocked back one of Ember Celica, her left gauntlet being the only one to retain a single bullet and she threw her fist forward. The homing shell whistled through the air and the Nevermore cried again, increasing in its struggles to escape. Then the explosion came and with it the ignition of the dust.

The electrical, fiery and icy explosions illuminated the Nevermore in a beautiful, deadly glow. Its pained shrieks cut straight through the sounds of the explosions and Ruby screamed at Yang to stop it. The creature was panicking heavily as the flames grew and engulfed the rest of its body, the attempts to escape were fruitless, its left wing had been fused to its side by a layer of ice and part of its right leg had been blown off entirely.

"MAKE IT STOP PLEASE!" Ruby screeched eliciting a wince from a guilt-stricken but entirely helpless Yang. The Nevermore was dead; they all knew that, especially Ruby. The only question was whether or not the Nevermore would suffer for the next few seconds, or for the next few minutes. Weiss embraced Ruby in a tight hug and the younger redhead let her tears flow; Weiss whispering soothing words to her distraught sister whom buried her head in Weiss's chest; refusing to gaze at the inhumane display of such a majestic and almighty creature being tortured to death.

Across the chasm Ren had a perfect view of what the four girls had just pulled off and he found himself slightly lost in the amalgamating spectrum of light that clung to the burning Nevermore. He shook his head and pressed his finger harder against Stormflower's trigger without results since it was already ripping through the flesh that connected the Deathstalker's stinger to its tail.

As his blurred vision cleared he could see Weiss and Ruby embraced on the ground, and just like that the sounds of battle faded. He could no longer hear pincers slamming against shields, or the agonised cries of the Nevermore, all he could hear was Ruby's sobbing, the younger girl's screams to not let the Nevermore meet such a gruesome end. He wasn't even sure if they were real but they made his heart ache all the same.

Ren's finger left the trigger and he shook his head at Pyrrha whom gave him a quizzical look before the Deathstalker managed to shake him off, slamming the boy into a wall. His aura flared and he landed safe enough on the ground. "WEISS WE NEED A BRIDGE!" called Pyrrha earning the white-haired sister's attention. She felt Ruby squeeze her, begging her not to go. Blake, whom had been stood out of the way evaluating the situation, a grimace on her face, approached the sisters. "Go." She said to Weiss whilst pulling Ruby against her own slender frame and hugging her tight.

Weiss nodded and dashed to the edge of the bridge, Myrtenaster once more running across the length of her body causing a series of glyphs to form a makeshift bridge across the gap and the heiress collapsed to her knees exhaustedly, Yang dashing over to check on her. "Are you alright?" she asked with a concerned look on her face and worry evident in her voice.

Ren, Pyrrha, Jaune and Nora arrived a few seconds later and Weiss let the glyphs wane, the circles of power fading from existence. "I'm fine." Weiss shrugged away from Yang and got to her feet, her steel blue eyes falling upon Blake and Ruby. The Nevermore's screams had died with the Nevermore itself but Ruby was still a quivering wreck taking solace in Blake's collarbone. Blake's own eyes were watching the rest of the group intently, her expression unreadable.

"Will she be okay?" followed up Ren motioning to Weiss's broken younger sister. Weiss flinched as a frown took over her features.

"I hope so."


	8. Tabula Rasa

The clatter of cutlery against plates was the only sound permeating the tense atmosphere as the eight fighters sat and ate. Or at least four of them sat and ate; only Blake, Jaune, Ren and Yang were actually eating; and Yang was forcing herself to. Ruby was picking at a light salad with a crestfallen, disheartened look plastered on her face that Pyrrha and Weiss just couldn't ignore. Weiss had long forgotten about her chicken and Pyrrha opted not to eat anything anyways.

The silence clung to existence, staining the air with glumness and anxiety. Weiss's eyes were locked on her troubled sister, the girl playing with her food without actually bringing any of it to her lips. Weiss let out a sigh and her hand dropped beneath the table resting on the thigh of her sister who was sat opposite her. At the same time the older redhead's arm stretched around Ruby's shoulder and pulled her into a half hug, the girl limply letting Pyrrha pull her against her frame.

Blake, Yang and Ren's gazes all fell upon the girl and Blake followed suit of Ruby's sister and sighed. She went to speak but Ren placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head when she gave him a glance out of the corner of her eye. She relaxed and took her seat, pushing away both her true thoughts and what she was going to tell Ruby in an attempt to cheer her up and continued eating.

Yang, seeing Blake step down, took it upon herself to try and get her partner to eat; it hurt her to see Ruby starving herself for even one day, though that had more to do with the cause likely becoming a near everyday occurrence in the near future. "Ruby, you need to eat." Yang offered quietly only to be ignored by the younger teen. Yang laughed nervously having been caught off-guard by Ruby's ignorant demeanour. "I mean, uh… um…"

"We've got our first day tomorrow Rubes and, if what happened in the forest was the Academy's idea of a first challenge, then we need to be at our best for whatever they'll throw at us next, whenever they throw it at us." Weiss offered stepping in, her hand absently rubbing her sister's leg. Once again Ruby chose to ignore her friends; looking closely Pyrrha could see the slight twitch of a wolf ear, a clear sign that Ruby had at least listened to Weiss before choosing to ignore her, a twitch that was nonexistent when Yang was speaking. Judging from Yang's enervated body language she had noticed it too.

Blake let out a frustrated groan as she watched what would soon be her entire team neglect their food in an attempt to cheer up the youngest member. She'd never met a more polarising person, it wasn't a "you either love her or hate her" kind of effect, no Ruby was far too charismatic for anyone not to find adorable and fun; the issue was that she was polarising to the individual. Blake had no idea how to react to Ruby; she was somehow both incredibly adorable and likeable AND frustratingly problematic and hateful at the same time.

In the forest she had done all she could to hide her frustration at the redhead's pacifism whilst surrounded by bloodshed, this last incident, minor as it was, pushed her over the edge. "Oh for God sake Ruby, just eat so these two shut up and start practising what they're preaching!" she finally shouted, letting loose her pent up anger that she had tried her damnedest to keep from the fifteen year old.

Everyone just started staring at Blake, their mouths agape, Nora's fork clanging against the table as it fell from her grasp. Blake relaxed herself and gulped, she could've swore she saw a tumbleweed blow past before Ruby stood up. "I think I'm going to go for a walk, maybe I'll feel more peckish outside." was all she said entirely indifferently, not even meeting Blake's gaze before disappearing from sight.

Weiss groaned and, after shooting Blake a disapproving and disappointed look followed her sister. Blake took her seat ignoring the shocked, judging expressions on everyone else's face. "She didn't even take any food with her…" she finally mumbled before tucking into the meal. Yang's narrowed eyes were locked onto Blake; they were the only pair she could feel burning into her despite knowing that everyone was still staring. _It's gonna be a long walk back to the ceremony hall…_

* * *

"So what exactly was that about?" Yang asked, her frustration masking her nerves as she confronted the girl she concerned her best friend. Blake looked down at the ground, a pout actually on her face that inadvertently weakened the brawler's resolve. Finally she let out a sigh.

"I honestly have no idea; I don't know how to approach Ruby. She's kind, fierce, loyal, and I've seen her wield that scythe of hers; no one should be able to fire it that fast, and certainly not an inexperienced 15 year old." She paused for breath and re-evaluated her thoughts; rambling wasn't going to get them anywhere. "She's got everything it takes to become the best damn huntress in this whole academy but…" Blake didn't need to finish, the simple act of hanging her words allowed Yang to instantly identify with her; they had both seen how Ruby acted during initiation after all.

Yang continued walking alongside Blake for a few seconds before taking a few extra strides to gain a minor lead and swung open the door to the main building which housed the main hall they had all crammed into during the welcome ceremony. In just twenty minutes everyone would be back here for the official establishment of teams. "Y-you know she stopped me from killing a pair of ursi right?" Blake gave a throaty hum whilst shaking her head to signify that she in fact did not. "Yeah, I had them both down and out of nowhere she tackled me to the floor and pleaded with me to not hurt them… how could I say no to her?"

"Isn't that the problem though? If no one makes the call to kill when she's around then things can get VERY ugly, VERY quickly." They stopped at a vending machine for a few seconds and Blake treated herself to a small carton of apple juice before the pair continued on. The seventeen year old monster hunter gave the impression of a child as she happily sipped her juice. "You think we'd have made it out had we not killed that Nevermore?" she asked pointedly.

Yang paused for thought, her mouth beginning to open in Ruby's defense before she just shut it again and sighed. "I guess not…" she admitted in defeat, her tone disappointed and exhausted. "But still… something about those ursi seemed… different from what I knew, what I thought I knew."

"What do you mean?" Blake asked inquisitively, her curiosity piqued as she slurped at her juice once more.

Yang's hand met her golden mane and she scratched at her ear whilst contemplating how to explain it. "Well umm, they kind of uh… didn't… attack…" Blake muttered her acknowledgement as she processed the information. "I mean sure they couldn't really have done anything but, they barely even struggled when the girl got near them…" Blake thrummed contemplatively, still sipping at her juice. "I thought the Grimm were meant to be…" Yang trailed off there, hoping it would have the same effect as Blake's did. It didn't. "You know… Bad, evil, dangerous, mean, cold-blooded, sadistic"

Blake let her lips stretch into a smile as she fought her urge to laugh, taking great pleasure from listening to Yang ramble on, naming every possibly synonym for "bad" she could think of. After malevolent and atrocious she finally raised a hand, signalling for Yang to quieten down. "Yes Yang, I know what you mean and it is odd that they wouldn't act "rancorously" towards Ruby."

Yang elbowed Blake in the side of the ribs with a pout. The black haired girl cried out in mock pain whilst maintaining a smile after stealing one of Yang's more silly sounding words for describing the Grimm. "Bears are known to be docile, perhaps the ursi share that the trait… or maybe it was a fluke, I don't know. What I DO know is that I prefer statistics and a hell of a lot more than two Grimm tried to kill us in that forest…"

"Yeah, I guess" Yang groaned defeated once more "but you need to make this up to Ruby; you're little outburst in the cafeteria WAS uncalled for." Blake's own gaze met Yang's and both entered a war of perseverance, Blake's penetrating golden eyes meeting surprisingly confrontational lilac. Blake never did like being told what to do but Yang clearly didn't see this as up for debate.

"Fine, I'll apologise after the ceremony." Blake finally spoke, cracking under Yang's gaze. She had to admire the girl's tenacity when she felt strongly about something.

"Good, as for you making your mind up about whether to love or hate Ruby-"

Blake shoved Yang at that, the blonde crying out in shock before apologising. She knew she shouldn't be giving advice; she always somehow screwed it up. "I don't think I could ever hate Ruby. I mean you said it yourself, there's something about her that, you just can't stay mad at her. No one with a heart could hate her."

Yang scratched the back of her head again thinking of what to say as they finally came to a stop outside of the ceremony hall. "Even still, I think I have an idea about how to get everyone a little more understanding of one another on the battlefield." She turned to face the door and Blake pushed it open. "Now come on, we've gotta find good seats before everyone else arrives."

"I still can't believe you dragged me here-" Blake broke off to glance at large clock attached to the back wall "a quarter of an hour early."

"Yeah well umm- ah…" Blake let a smirk take over her feature, Yang was back to actually socialising and joking, and she was flustered, as per usual. _One day Yang you'll be able to hold a proper conversation._

"There." Blake said pointing to a row of seats and guiding Yang to them.

* * *

Weiss was currently trudging along the cliff top that stood proudly above the Emerald Forest, it gave a beautiful, and almost tranquilising view as the beckoning sunset gave the natural garden of Beacon an incandescent glow. Perhaps it would have been tranquil had she not been fuming at Blake for what she had said to her little sister just a few minutes ago.

Ruby had done her equivalent of storming out of a room, leaving with a cold shoulder and in complete silence. The act however lacked the subtle rage that one could not emanating from her long ago if you knew what to look for, a subtle rage that Ruby often used to punctuate the entire performance and invoke one or more of either fear, guilt or awkwardness in her offender.

 _How can anyone be so dense as to actually do that?_ She thought to herself angrily whilst pushing her way past a tree that stood at the very edge of the cliff. _What kind of a dunce is that inconsiderate? That indifferent? That-that-_ Weiss groaned audibly, swinging her head back and stomping her foot. "I'm really starting to dislike her…" Weiss admitted with a whisper.

"Weiss?" asked a curious voice garnering the fencer's attention. Weiss began inspecting a tree; she could've sworn she had heard Ruby's voice. Sure enough, before she even had a chance to call out Ruby's name the red and black theme girl popped her head out from behind the trunk and Weiss smiled warmly rushing to her side. "Beautiful isn't it?" asked Ruby as Weiss knelt down by her side, her own legs being thrown over the edge of the cliff as she sat by her sister.

"Yeah it isn't… I thought you hated sightseeing?"

"I do." Ruby admitted before quickly appending "But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the sights themselves." she paused for a few seconds just gazing at the sun as it set behind a grand oak tree off in the distance. "Besides, I wasn't talking about the view itself." She pulled her legs up from the cliff and shifted so she was sitting on her knees; Weiss's heart was momentarily in her mouth at how precarious Ruby's balance was during the shift. "Look!" Ruby finally said as she got comfortable, her finger pointing vaguely in the direction of a giant meadow.

Weiss's eyes followed Ruby's hand before widening in disbelief. "Is that a?"

"Yup."

"Is that THE?"

"Pretty sure."

"Huh…"

Weiss sank back down, the excitement that gripped having dissipated, replaced with awe. It couldn't be, and yet it was; there in the clearing, curled against itself in a large, defensive ball was a slumbering titan. The Deathstalker that had pursued them through the entirety of the forest amid a destructive rampage was safe amongst the beauty of nature; there was no path of destruction, no signs of conflict; there was just a real life, sleeping Deathstalker. She laughed inwardly as the first thought that went through her head was the stupidest thing she could've thought of at that moment. _Do the creatures of Grimm even sleep?_

"Just look at it sis, it's so… peaceful." Ruby explained with a joyous expression on her face where sorrow was just a short while ago. Weiss returned the infectious smile and nodded. "Can you believe that this was nearly stolen away from the world? Can you really not imagine a Nevermore being just as passive, as indifferent, to the entire world around it?"

"I…" Weiss croaked still in shock at what she was seeing. Ruby was right though; at that very moment the Deathstalker looked entirely untroubled, almost as if it was enjoying the self-same serenity Weiss herself had taken note of but a few seconds ago. At that moment Weiss did all she could do: she let out a reluctant sigh. "Ruby, you need to understand that these creatures ARE a danger."

Weiss couldn't see Ruby face at that moment but safely and correctly assumed that her eyes had closed tight. "Every time we cross paths with a creature of Grimm, regardless of your intention, and regardless of its motivations; they will attack us. They will do what they need to ensure their survival and we must do the same." Ruby nodded weakly and her eyes re-opened, Weiss turned her head to meet her sister's silver eyes. "And unfortunately that means that you will have to hurt them." Ruby's body stiffened, every muscle in her body contracting almost simultaneously. "Kill them if it comes to that…"

This time the redhead flinched and Weiss just waited for the girl to relax on her own, Ruby knew she was there for her and that spoke greater volumes than comforting words ever could. As Ruby felt the knots leave her body she took a heavy breath.

"You're right Weiss, I know you are." she professed suddenly giving Weiss a quick swell of unwanted pride. "But it doesn't always have to come to that. I mean, we don't need to kill that Deathstalker right now, all its doing is trying to rest whilst searching for a home. It's not harming anyone." Weiss nodded and audibly agreed as the girl continued, her voice growing sorrowful once more. "I'll be more prepared for the Grimm next time. I just… wish we knew that we HAD to do what we did in the forest."

Now was the time for Weiss to pull Ruby into a half-hug, re-enacting the same sequence as Pyrrha and Ruby back in the café. "It's not about knowing Ruby, it's about survival. Sometimes you can't ask questions, the Grimm certainly won't hesitate, they don't need to kill you and yet I personally saw a beowolf come this close" Weiss held up her hand in front of Ruby, her index finger and thumb a mere centimetre apart "to ripping your throat out once."

That memory used to always make Weiss cringe, flood her with anguish and self-loathing for not being capable of saving the at-the-time eight year old girl but she'd recollected it every night throughout the first, most painful, year of training to keep her resolve strong. She was almost entirely desensitised to it by now. "They don't need to kill you Rubes, but they will; because it's not a chance they can take it. You need to realise the same."

Ruby seemed to accept that answer and, after spending one last moment ensuring that she would remember every aspect of the forest's scenery, stood up. Weiss grabbed onto her sister's sleeve and pulled herself up. "How are you feeling?" the heiress asked her younger sister, her mind wandering slightly to whether or not father changed his will after he adopted Ruby ten years ago.

"Better than I was before." responded Ruby happily. "Thank you sis." she appended sincerely. Weiss nodded and pulled Ruby into a hug, it wasn't an ideal response but it was certainly acceptable.

She broke it whilst moving around to Ruby's side where she entwined her fingers with her sister's, locking their hands together. "Then come on, we've got a ceremony to attend."

The pair began to walk across the cliffs that both had previously found their way across individually, the sun had finally disappeared, by the time the ceremony was finished the moon would undoubtedly be in the sky, a thought that made Ruby yawn. "On the plus side Weiss, after the ceremony, we get to finally see our dorms; I'm shattered."

* * *

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR." From the crowd Ruby and Weiss peered up, smiling proudly at Pyrrha whilst applauding their new friends as a group. "Led by…" Ozpin paused for dramatic effect for what seemed like the hundredth time that night and, as she had the first few times Blake rolled her eyes in disgust. They all would have had Yang not being so nervous or Ruby and Weiss not been trained in more acceptable etiquette in formal situations. "Lie Ren." Ozpin finally announced and Nora caught her friend in a crushing bear hug.

Jaune's eyes widened "L-led by…"

"What's the matter Jaune?" enquired Pyrrha.

"N-nothing…"

Pyrrha would have pressed on in a heartbeat but now was not the time or place; and Ozpin certainly wouldn't approve of the newly christened Team Juniper overstaying their welcome on stage. Team RWBY's graphics appeared on the screen next, unsurprising as they were the only team left. As they stood to make their way to the stage Blake placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder, grabbing her attention.

"Before we go up there I just want to say I'm-"

"It's fine Blake, really. In a few seconds we'll be a brand new team; so new slate?" the redhead offered with a smile.

"New slate." agreed Blake earning content looks from Yang and Weiss, and with that they headed to the stage.

"And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long." Ozpin turned to face the four girls, giving Yang an amused look at seeing how uncomfortable she looked on-stage considering how loud she was during the Nevermore attack. "The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY."

The girls all nodded proudly standing tall as they were applauded, Blake now also standing "properly" whilst Yang's shyness prevented from pulling off formal quite as well as her teammates. "Led by…" _Please don't make us wait._ A few seconds passed with the crowd dying down. _Confound it, Ozpin._ "Yang Xiao Long."

For the first time since they arrived on stage Yang was confident, she got a grin on her face that would be considered cocky under normal circumstances. "Told you." whispered Blake in her ear before Weiss and Ruby hugged her and actually congratulated her. Yang's face went beet red and she laughed uneasily as she was squeezed, her body tense save for her arm which awkwardly patted Ruby on the back in return. She shared a pleading exchange with Blake who shrugged her shoulders with a wide smile on her face, clearly enjoying Yang's discomfort; as per usual.

"It looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year."


	9. Boiling Sunrise

Blake couldn't believe her luck. Just a mere month ago she was attending Beacon without a plan going forward nor any single person she could place faith into to be there for her. And now here she was, living an entirely normal life in peaceful ignorance of the conflict around her and it was all thanks to him. He was there on that fateful day in the train yard. He was there a mere few days later, papers in hand. And he was there a month ago, his embrace welcoming her as she fled from those she called teammates.

He had said goodbye to her following their final protest citing reasons of being unable to forgive, and unable to trust, her. Blake cherished that change of heart, cherished the fact that her childhood friend was still there to guide her. Most of all she cherished the fact that her past had finally been sold to the sands of time for them do as they may with it.

She was currently walking down the road to the house the duo shared. They weren't together; it was just the smartest way to go about living. Her senses were being pleasantly assaulted by the smell of barbecue, the sound of the early bird's chirping their odd songs, and the feeling of the cool breeze as it brushed over her bared arms, her combat gear replaced with a simple t-shirt and short combination. She reached the door and stepped inside, instantly being struck by refreshing air conditioning.

"Adam, are you up yet?" she shouted as she squeezed her way inside, bag full of ingredients in hand. No reply. Blake groaned with a partial tone of amusement, Adam hadn't changed one bit from the boy she came to adore. "Adam!?" she called again pushing open the door slightly to the kitchen and placing the bag inside, she was immediately assailed by a grey and white cat, begging for attention and food.

"Hey Storm, you seen Adam?" the cat just mewed happily, entirely ignorant of Blake's question. "Yeah you wouldn't care would you" she mused happily, her hand absently ruffling the feline's fur. Eventually Blake pulled herself away from her pet, pausing for but a few seconds to scratch under its chin and earn a small purr in reward. "I'll feed you in a bit, I gotta go wake up that buffoon before he misses his job interview… again."

Storm was right behind her as she pushed open the door to the living room; it was a spacious set up consisting of just a TV stand, sofa bed that wasn't pulled out and a glass coffee table. "Huh, seem he's awake; maybe he's already-" She trailed off, moving over to the coffee table, there was a small white note; a letter written in red, in Adam's handwriting.

" _I'm sorry Blake; it had to be this way. I couldn't forget… All loose ends need to be tied, you know that… I'm sorry."_

Blake's blood ran cold, a chill reverberating up and down her spine as she swallowed hard. _He betrayed me._ Her eyes narrowed, two thuds were heard and she dashed over to the TV stand. It was where she and Adam agreed to hide Gambol Shroud, Blush and Wilt. Out of sight, out of mind… but close enough to use had the necessity arisen.

She cursed as she swung the door open, the hinges cracking and the door ripping off. _He took my weapon too…_

The sound of footsteps were behind her now and she pivoted on the spot, a clenched fist at the ready; one that would be thrown regardless of who was behind her. She threw her fist forward and caught a brief glimpse of a man, he brought his head back slightly and Blake's punch missed, she stumbled forward having placed far too much force behind the attack. She cursed again, and seconds later she felt a blade against her neck and her body get launched against the wall.

"Nothing personal Ms. Belladonna, but we've worked too hard to allow someone like you to bring everything to ruin…"

The man lowered his blade and threw her into the glass coffee table, Blake crashing through it with a yelp of pain as the glass dug into her skin, drawing blood from her exposed arms and legs. She stood up and took a stance ready to fight her assassin bare-handed if need be. The front door swung open and four more men entered.

Fear gripping her like a vice, Blake did the only thing she could: she dashed towards the archway that led to the hall; her only hope for escape. Escape that was snatched from her grasp as she neared the frame; yet another man rounding the corner and bringing a blunt object down hard across Blake's face; blood began to gush from just above her right eye brow as she staggered back into the clutches of another one of her assassins.

He threw her back against the original assassin, his knife sheathed in favour of a night stick. He smashed the weapon in her stomach and she keeled over, blood pouring from her mouth. A swift kick to the head and she was sent reeling back into the centre, losing her balance and falling hard against the glass shards that littered her living room.

She struggled to her feet and glanced around, she was surrounded. _Sentenced to death by decimation by cowards who were supposed to be pacifists…_ She had to admit she found a strange poetry in that given what she once fought for.

In the blink of an eye they descended down upon her, blow upon blow racking her body in pain earning another cry, shedding another load of blood, breaking another bone, tearing another muscle. She screamed one last time as one of her attackers delivered a swift uppercut to her jawline, fracturing it instantly and she fell back, one last swing and she felt her skull crack. Her vision went dark.

* * *

A shrill shriek resonated throughout the dorm room as Blake bolted upright in her bed. Weiss winced from across the room and Blake caught a glimpse of Ruby… sat on her bed, whistle by her lips. Startled by the scream, Ruby inadvertently bit down on the instrument. The shrill sound of the one tone metronome sliced through the air threatening to pop Blake's ear drums and the dual swordswoman fell from the bed with another shout.

"S-sorry Blake, I didn't mean to-I, well I mean I guess I did-but I-"

"GODDAMNIT RUBY!" yelled Blake cutting the redhead's apologetic rambling dead and earning a flinch from the younger girl. Blake immediately kicked herself in her mind and reined in her emotions. _Come on Blake, don't take this out on Ruby; she's done nothing to deserve this… you turned a page yesterday, don't stain this one this soon..._

She struggled to a seated position and quickly apologised before noticing that her entire team were up and ready in their school uniform. Ruby rather humorously kept her cloak. Yang, as expected, wore thigh high stockings to pointlessly maintain decency. And Weiss… looked slightly annoyed she had to wear such an ugly outfit.

Looking around she spotted Weiss and Yang's concerned looks. _Understandable, I did just wake up screaming…_ She turned back to Yang's partner and groaned, still tired after a restless night's sleep. "Did you need to wake me up so soon?" she asked not even bothering to check the time; the sun wasn't too high in the sky, it couldn't be very far past dawn.

"Yes." The teen said entirely serious prompting Blake to question why, she instantly regretted it as the teen replied boisterously "So that Team RWBY can officially begin its first order of business!"

She almost asked what that order of business was, almost; luckily for her Weiss interrupted her with an excited shout of her own "DECORATING!" It sounded slightly feigned, for Ruby's sake most likely, though Blake was admittedly touched at the idea that some thought could've been spared to the brunette herself. Still she had no intention of decorating.

Blake let out another groan as Yang stepped up next to the white-haired girl. "We umm… still have to unpack." She held up her suitcase pointedly, at which point it comically fell open; all her contents spilling out. Blake spied a diary and a few curious books but said nothing. "A-And clean…" the blonde nervously added whilst pawing at the books. Weiss smiled in amusement.

"Aren't you the team leader Yang? Couldn't you have stopped this!?"

"W-well yes, yes… umm yeah… But…" as Yang stuttered Blake began pacing forwards, Yang's nerves only continued to further hamper her communication as a seemingly angry snake Faunus stalked towards her. "But… RUBY!" she said motioning to the redhead before breaking into a nervous chuckle. Blake couldn't suppress a smile, after just one day it had become a safe assumption that "Ruby" in this context meant puppy dog eyes and immense amounts of adorableness. Which also meant Yang was in the clear.

Blake would also have taken great pleasure from Yang's bumbling attempts to speak English but memories of Adam reminded her of her last few encounters with him, giving her a desperate desire to shower and a way out of the morning's madness that was sure to follow. "Well, whilst you three ruin the place, I'm gonna grab a shower; don't touch any of my stuff." she said, striding straight past Yang. "Morning." she said lowly to the blonde before disappearing into the bathroom.

* * *

Shrugging off her yukata, Blake stepped into the shower moaning happily as the torrent of hot water blasted her body, washing away all negativity and calming her mind. For a while she just stood there letting the focussed stream massage her back before shifting to allow it to massage her scalp. Moments like this were something to hold onto, moments where the huntress became just another person allowing Blake to bask in the normality of what she assumed was everyday life.

A few thuds and a "RUBY THAT'S NOT HOW YOU PUT UP A PAIR OF CURTAINS!" followed by Ruby's pleas for forgiveness and Weiss's angry attitude fading into sisterly affection awakened Blake to the real world and she let a wry smirk take over her features. _If things had been normal then perhaps we would be closer than sisters… perhaps…_

She flinched and groaned in pain, her hand instinctively reaching to clutch at a scar running across the length of her right rib just beneath her breast. _It's just phantom pain Blake, pull yourself together._ The pain persisted and she ran her finger smoothly along the discoloured streak marring her otherwise flawless torso; kneading the old wound tenderly. _Dammit, why did it have to be THAT dream?_ She let out a seething sigh as she tried battling back the anxiety provoking thoughts. _I need a distraction…_ Shaking her head she quickly finished showering; sacrificing enjoyment for efficiency and stepped out of the bathroom in a black and white bathrobe.

On her knees in amidst a pile of wood was Ruby, seemingly hard in concentration as she messed about with some rope. Beside her was Weiss who groaned in frustration. "Maybe try this." She asked before reaching over and taking the rope. She spent the next five minutes explaining some kind of knot to her little sister, and Blake immediately lost interest. She scanned the room again and found an exhausted Yang slumped against one of the haphazardly strewn about mattresses.

"I'm gonna regret this I think but: What are you guys doing?"

"Making bunk beds, we've always had them ever since we took Ruby in at the age of five…" commented Weiss nonchalantly.

 _Bunk beds, phew; and there's me thinking-_ "Wait, then why have you got rope?"

"Umm, hellooo: bunk beds!" Weiss repeated as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Ooookay… Well I'll leave you to it, could you just pass me over my school uniform; I'll get changed in the bathroom since well-" Blake simply motioned towards the absolute mess made by the Schnee sisters and Weiss obliged her partner.

Blake accepted them gratefully before retreating back to the bathroom to get changed.

* * *

With her original plan for distracting herself now out of the window, Blake focussed on slowly getting ready, ensuring her hair was perfect and her eye shadow immaculate before even beginning to dress. She didn't want to go back out there until Ruby and Weiss were done being… well… them.

When the clock struck 8:45 Blake started to steel herself, hoping that the duo had finished, least of all because they had Grimm Studies at 9am. Opening the door hesitantly she was greeted by absolute normality. Everything was back to as it should be… except the four beds.

One was piled atop another supported entirely by thick school tomes that would undoubtedly be needed at some point. The other was somehow even more frightening; it was suspended in the air by ropes, attached to what, Blake didn't even try and guess. "What on Remnant is this monstrosity?"

"Bunk beds!" announced Weiss and Ruby in joyful synchronicity.

That rendered Blake speechless for a few moments, moments she disguised with a short laugh and an unbelieving smile. "Well how creative of you to disguise bunk beds as safety hazards…" she quipped with a half-drone, clearly less than pleased at the Schnees' work but taking great amusement from the results. She cocked her head to the side regarding the second bed curiously. "You didn't say you were transforming both…"

"Umm guys?" All eyes shifted to the nervous source, Yang shrinking slightly in her presence upon having three pairs of eyes on her. "We've gotta get a move on; classes start in ten minutes, don't wanna be late do you?"

* * *

Ruby had been inside of a Beacon classroom for merely three minutes and she had already discovered something new: She couldn't stand her Grimm Studies professor. Here he was Professor Peter Port; boring propaganda extraordinaire, painting the creatures of Grimm as mindless husks whose only reason to exist is to kill. _That's funny I've never seen a Grimm kill someone before…_ she mused disgustedly as he continued droning.

"Some of you are training to become hunters and huntresses, the duty will fall upon you to go out and defeat these bloodthirsty murderers before they take any more lives." Ruby groaned and the professor shot her a dirty look. Weiss's eyes narrowed upon seeing it only for her attention to be gained by Blake, namely the fact that the raven-haired girl seemed entirely distracted.

That irked her beyond reason, after everything Blake put her through in the forest, after all the yelling, personal attacks, and vitriolic assessments of her skill level; Blake of all people was slacking off. Blake was the one completely ignoring Professor Port… And here Weiss was trying to prove to her that she was an equal fighter.

"Regardless of where you go from here, ALL of you are individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"

Blake was brought back from her clouded mind by a young boy at the back of the class getting to his feet and punching his fist into the air. "Ayyyy-yep!" he yelled. Apparently she was not the only one whose attention was glued to the strange boy.

"Shouldn't you be concentrating?" scolded Blake and the man flopped into his seat, his head hanging in shame with a light blush on his cheek after having embarrassed himself a little. Weiss growled angrily, her fist balling up, nails beginning to dig into her palms. Her building rage was further fuelled by the professor's next words.

"Indeed Ms. Belladonna, it is pleasing to know that at least one of you has the mindset of a true huntress in training."

 _What!?_ Weiss screamed in her mind, her partner had done nothing but ignore the entire lecture, and now she was being praised for hypocritically shouting at a poor boy that was probably fully attentive in the first place. Blake practically demanded Weiss prove herself to Blake, and here that same girl was attacking students who were doing MORE than she had been. She bit her tongue and focussed her attentions elsewhere.

"But first a story, a story about a young, proud and brave hunter: no it is not me, I was never one for the adventurous life style. No I am speaking of my brother: Bryan Port!" Weiss sighed, she couldn't blame the infuriating snake Faunus next to her for zoning out… which she had again done, after all Port made it very hard to care about his lectures. Despite the name of the subject they had yet to do any actual studying of Grimm. _Maybe she has other things on her mind…_ she thought before hearing Jaune groan from behind her.

 _I've heard enough about this guy's family to last a lifetime; I've already heard this self-aggrandising exaggeration from the man himself. Ugh!_ Jaune was quickly coming to hate his time at Beacon, education wise everything had been spiralling downwards.

Port was a Grimm Researcher, one that seemed to be living vicariously through his brother's eyes since he pursued a far more excited passion, one Jaune would likely be subject to after the events of Initiation.

" _In just a few short days my son, my prodigy, will begin attending Beacon Academy, there he will hone his skills and become an even greater swordsman than he already is. I sincerely hope that one day he even surpasses me."_

The words of his father echoed in his mind, the expectations that he would one day go on to better his father's legacy, with hopes that they would finally have a voice with the powers that controlled Vale. _Yeah, how's that going for ya dad?_

He felt Pyrrha's burning gaze upon the side of his face and set about swiftly recovering, now pretending to listen to the professor rather than outright ignoring him. _Speaking of which Ren could REALLY do with listening, maybe he'll learn not to hop a Nevermore and almost get his partner killed…_ Jaune deliberated venomously before immediately punishing himself _No, no. Don't you DARE take your failures out on him Jaune Arc!_ That would be much easier advice to take if he didn't care about Pyrrha's well-being, and Ren hadn't gotten them all late to class.

"The moral of this story?" questioned Port rhetorically, Jaune would've been happy he was finally going to learn something had he not been so accustomed to the Port family. Knowing what was coming he decided to check them all off. "A true Huntsman must be honourable!" _Check. "_ A true Huntsman must be dependable!" _Check._ "A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise!" _Check, check and check._ He groaned angrily, he needed something to kill, and a chance to prove himself. "So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

Before he could say anything Weiss stood proudly from her seat. "I DO SIR!" she shouted with a fiery passion. He relaxed back against his seat with a sigh and caught Pyrrha's gaze, emerald green meeting azure blue. _She really isn't forgetting this is she?_

For the first time since the lecture started, Blake was all ears. _This should be good_ she mused in anticipation of the blood sport that was sure to follow. "Well, then, let's find out!" Port announced turning to face a cage. A few grasps were heard and a pained whimper came from Ruby. Yang whom was sat beside her tried her best to be consoling but, being Yang, did an awkward job of it.

 _Seriously did NO ONE else notice that cage just sitting right there?_ Blake's hopes that anyone in the classroom would be worthy of calling themselves hunters when the four years at the academy came to close were already wavering after just twenty minutes.

Weiss's heart sank as she saw the struggling creature in the cage; she could almost sense the fear and rage. "Step forward, and face your opponent!" the professor announced indifferently, paying no mind to trying to be discrete or sensitive in the presence of a visibly affected Ruby.

Nevertheless Weiss got to her feet and made her way to the locker room. As she reached the doorway she shot a glance back at Ruby, her face apologetic before she turned away. Myrtenaster awaited her, and she had something to prove to herself, something to prove to Blake. She would not allow this hypocrisy to stand. Weiss was a true huntress; it was time to prove to Blake what she had to Ozpin and her father before. It was time show Blake that she, and every other student in the room, could do this.


	10. Seeing Red

Now that the initial excitement had worn off from the revelation that there'd be something in Port's class worth paying attention, Blake had once again returned to her thoughts. That dream persisted on playing on her mind; she hadn't had it in a while and she couldn't help but feel Team RWBY had something to do with it returning. She now had someone to trust, someone to betray her. She hated that feeling of fear; fear of those that should be closest to her, those that had promised to be by her side through thick and thin. She had already lashed out at a poor boy that was likely paying more attention than she was in the first place and she was still on edge. She also now found herself concerned with Weiss.

She couldn't understand why but she felt almost guilty that Weiss was in this position. The heiress's behaviour was clearly triggered by something and Blake could only assume it was her. The biggest concern however was Ruby. The creature in the cage would die today, there was no doubt about it and it was going to hit Ruby hard… Blake just hoped that the Grimm died before Weiss was injured, because Ruby would never forgive herself if she was the cause of harm to the one person she seemed to cherish.

Ruby had visibly withdrawn; she paid absolutely no mind to the looks Port gave her when he noticed that she wasn't even trying to pretend to listen. She was entirely lost in thought, her attention glued to the rattling cage and what resided within. No matter what creature it was, she couldn't find a reason to justify such revolting mistreatment, whatever it was would be sentenced to death simply because it was a Grimm and Port had nothing to teach them.

Her mind also wandered to Weiss whom had stormed out with a look of determination in her eyes that she'd rarely seen before. Blake had to have really been getting to her, and Weiss tended to obsess over things like Blake's doubts in the forest. She let out a defeated sigh, as she failed to push away her fears of Weiss getting hurt.

Yang had done nothing inherently ignorant; she tried to keep her attention on Port because that's what good students do, it's what her Uncle conditioned her to do. However this lecture was not one with a point, there was no silver lining here. Blake's scream as the girl awoke this morning was proving difficult to forget as well. For some reason she couldn't write it off as "just a bad dream". There was something there that terrified Blake, something that kept her on edge even now.

The fact that Ruby was so worked up about the current situation didn't help either. She could imagine the thoughts coursing through her mind, remembering back to both the ursi in the Emerald Forest and to what Weiss had told her when they returned from the ceremony last night. Ruby had to keep herself under control, as did Blake. And Weiss needed to keep her focus on surviving the disgusting demonstration.

She shuffled past Blake and sat closer to Ruby, taking Weiss's spot. She didn't know exactly what to do but Weiss did mention at one point that Ruby preferred just the presence of those she cares about. She banked on now being a time where words weren't needed.

Ren, having tried his best to maintain focus throughout the lecture had finally followed suit of Jaune, Ruby and Blake and tuned out. Jaune had never really been listening in the first place and continued to stew in his own irrational beliefs. Pyrrha's focus was partially on Jaune, whom was seemingly jealous of, or uncommitted to, Ren. As for Nora, she was unnerved by the tension between the blonde and the redhead.

The only two that seemed effected by Weiss's upcoming exhibition were Ren and Pyrrha. Pyrrha occasionally cast anxious glances towards Ruby whilst Ren surrendered to his thoughts every time he glimpsed Yang; they were both in tricky situations as leaders right now.

Professor Port's tedious lecture was once more brought to a pause as Weiss returned with a scowl on her face that only receded into a weak smile when she walked by her team.

"Ah Ms. Schnee, I trust that you are ready for your test?"

Weiss only grunted angrily, her cold blue eyes locked on the cage. _Focus Weiss, you can't let anything-_ she cast a glance to Ruby, inadvertently catching her younger sister's silver orbs and forced another smile - _or anyone distract you from your objective._ She turned her attention back to the struggling beast in the cage and noticed the tell-tale signs of a Boarbatusk; an unfamiliar enemy.

Port rose what looked to be a blunderbuss axe combination above his head. "Let the match…" he paused pointlessly which caused Blake and Jaune to roll their eyes. "BEGIN!"

He swung his hand down with a prowess that belied him, slicing the lock in two. The sound of the lock cracking caused Ruby to flinch and cuddle slightly into a somewhat uncomfortable Yang. Yang cradled Ruby's head slightly, mimicking the girl's own treatment of her back in the forest. The memory elicited a frown as she reminisced on regrettable and dangerous actions but she pushed them away when she noticed Ruby keeping an eye on her sister. The redhead was like a guardian angel for Weiss, never abandoning her vigil unless she was sure her sister was safe. Ruby needed an angel of her own, and Weiss couldn't always be it.

A short few seconds later and Weiss's suspicions were confirmed when a Boarbatusk charged toward her, enraged and free from the confines of the cage that encapsulated it. Ruby believed it to also be scared or at least unnerved. Every emotion was justified as was its attack.

Weiss bided her time, waiting patiently for the Grimm to get close to her before making her move. She couldn't remember exactly how quick they were but had faith in her own agility. The beast charged recklessly and dashed past Weiss who rolled out of the way. The beast skidded across the ground, friction bringing its charge to halt once it realised its target had moved. Turning on the spot it charged again, and once more it missed Weiss by a fraction of a hair, the heiress banking on her last second reactions to reduce energy consumption.

The duo kept like this for several more attacks, the Boarbatusk rampaging forward blindly, entirely focussed on skewering the porcelain beauty only to have the lithe frame of the heiress dance away at the last second.

Blake found herself revelling in the sight, losing herself in what she imagined to be a more graceful bullfight recreation: Weiss the beautiful and elegant matador and the Boarbatusk the outraged bull. It was enough to distract her mind transitorily.

She was snapped from her trance too soon however and the haunting memories of her past and the agonising self-conjured visions of her future came flooding in as Weiss this time side stepped the beast and delivered the first blow, a simple slashing attack to the test the armour's strength. Weiss was disappointed to find it flawless following the attack, not even a nick.

It charged again, this time halting in front of Weiss and slamming its forelegs into the ground, causing Weiss to hop backwards, barely avoiding the attack. The creature thrashed out with its tusks now, swinging its head wildly in an attempt to puncture Weiss's flesh or knock her down. The fencer however was quick to parry away one blow, allowing the force to knock her back so she could pull up a protection glyph for the boar to slam itself into, stunning it for a short while.

Weiss rolled to the left and glanced at the creature's side. After quickly identifying exposed flesh she dashed forward, ripping Myrtenaster across the bare hide resulting in a squeal from the creature, she couldn't even begin to imagine Ruby's reaction and wouldn't allow herself to try.

Remaining on its feet the Boarbatusk recovered quicker than anticipated and kicked its hind legs out as the heiress finishing craving into the flesh of the boar. The mule kick smashed Weiss in the ribs causing her aura to flare as she careened through the air and slammed into the ground. Whilst recovering Weiss spotted Ruby from the corner of her eye, both she and, surprisingly, Blake were a little on edge, the redhead had shrugged off Yang and was now watching the stampeding boar intently. She was counting the seconds hoping her sister would move, a few petals streaking from her, a hint at her semblance being active.

The boar's wild attempt to trample Weiss was thankfully unsuccessful and both Blake and Ruby relaxed. Yang nevertheless placed a reassuring hand on Ruby's shoulder and let the redhead fall against her frame once more. Weiss having rolled to safety was already back on her feet. The Boarbatusk's attempts to use physics to slow it down resulted in the beast's injury causing it to crash to the floor revealing its stomach, barren of hide and armour.

 _If only I had Myrtenaster in hand..._ That thought, combined with the beast's pathetic cries as it struggled to its feet brought Weiss from her concentrated state, her gaze flickering to Ruby. The redhead was once more hiding away, the creature's panic causing her anguish. Weiss set about locating Myrtenaster, spying it several feet away from her opponent whom was now back to a stable base.

The beast charged again and Weiss made dashed towards her treasured rapier. As she had suspected earlier, the beast was surprisingly quick. With the heiress's moves choreographed the Boarbatusk was easily able to track her, arcing around to the blade and taking a swipe at the huntress-to-be. Weiss rolled forward to avoid the tusks and gripped Myrtenaster tight.

Spinning around she slashed at her enemy whom, once again, flailed its head around causing Weiss to require a blend of dodging and guarding to avoid the onslaught. During its last attack Weiss brought up Myrtenaster, intending on piercing the beast's eye when the opportunity arose. Unfortunately the beast whipped its head to the left, breaking the left to right pattern it had somewhat stuck to for the last minute. The blade hooked inside its tusks and the creature pulled, attempting to pry Myrtenaster from Weiss's hands.

Things were getting dire and hearts were yet again in mouths as Blake, Ruby and Yang watched on with bated breath. Blake's eyes had narrowed as she silently evaluated her partner. She was also readying herself to jump in if Port let this go too far. Ruby still had petals fluttering idly around her, several of them sticking to Yang whom glanced down at her golden bracelets that adorned her wrists.

The beast pulled away again, bringing Weiss stumbling forward, her grip faltered slightly, threatening to release Myrtenaster. She let out a gulp knowing that she could not afford to be weaponless. It yanked again and Weiss tightened her grip as her body fell against the rough hide with a crack. The impact dazed her and her hand loosened once more, now limply grasping the rapier.

"Come on Weiss, you can do it!" cheered Pyrrha, the first and only to come from the crowd watching her.

Weiss's face set like stone, determination radiating from her. She shook the cobwebs from her head and took an iron grip on Myrtenaster. She pulled it back and the Boarbatusk reacted in kind, this time she let herself fall forward, her aura now braced for the impact. She smashed against the Boarbatusk's armour hide once more but maintained her awareness, she heard a soft click come from her weapon of choice and her lips stretched into a small smile.

She extended her free hand and pointed to the ground. Beneath herself and the boar-like Grimm, an adhesion glyph was conjured, soldering both girl and beast to the ground. The Boarbatusk paused in confusion whilst Weiss flicked her thumb against the hilt of Myrtenaster once again; the base rotating and settling on red. Another flick of her wrist and both she and the creature were launched into the air, Myrtenaster slipping from between the beast's tusks and tumbling to the ground.

Landing with a forward roll, Weiss made her way to Myrtenaster in record time and once again grasped her weapon tightly.

The Boarbatusk was charging again. Unfazed, she rotated the hilt again. The beast was now mere feet away. Weiss conjured up another protection glyph which was immediately crashed into by her rampaging opponent. It fell onto its back, dazed and confusion and soon began to panic once more.

A glyph conjured behind Weiss at a forty five degree angle to her enemy and she back flipped onto the adhesive platform. Catching sight of the flustered and scared Grimm caused the haze of combat to dissipate once more. She found herself gazing at a helpless animal, one she was moments from puncturing the heart of. She closed her eyes and steeled herself. _No thing, no one. No distractions._ She brought up Myrtenaster, better angling it to ensure killing blow.

"WEISS, NO!"

Weiss flinched, that voice that she had heard many times before, that usually forlorn, innocent, confused and sweet voice. The voice of her sister, filled with a passion that only Ruby herself could muster. Her eyes shot open again, her head turning to face her team. Yang was also flinching, out of fear of what could come next. Blake looked incredibly agitated by Ruby… and incredibly disappointed in her partner.

"Ruby?" Weiss asked in a quiet whisper. The glyph she was presently balancing on faded and she dropped to the ground, landing with bended knees out of instinct more than for safety. The Boarbatusk made it back to its feet but Weiss was elsewhere psychologically. The boar Grimm rushed forward one last time, closing in on the unfocussed heiress.

"WEISS, NO!"

That voice again, now without passion, now without desperation, now without anger… now filled with fear. No longer a plea, those same words became a warning of impending peril. Weiss turned to defend herself but the Boarbatusk was already upon her, it flailed its tusks once more and swatted the heiress away. She slammed against the wall of the classroom and fell to the ground in pain. She clutched her side as she struggled to reach one knee. _That shouldn't have hurt THAT much._ At some point her aura had deactivated, likely subconsciously done by Weiss herself.

Her entire body shook, spikes of searing pain shooting through her left side as she barely made it to one knee. She heard a faint rolling sound, increasing in volume every second.

"RUBY, SIT DOWN!"

The entire class was taken aback by that order. Professor Port, the boring Grimm Researcher had demanded the younger sister of one of his students sit and watch as said student was crushed. That snapped something inside of Blake and she lunged forward, weaving around Port as she bounded to her downed partner.

The monster was getting closer. _Gotta go faster!_ Five feet. _Not fast enough!_ Four feet. _Come on hurry it up Blake!_ Three feet. _You are NOT letting your partner die!_ Two feet. Blake was in and out like a flash, a single eye blink and the save was missed. Weiss was in her arms and the Grimm had stunned itself. _Just made it!_ She placed the heiress down and dashed over to Myrtenaster, taking no pause to revel in her small victory.

Weiss watched on speechless as Blake gripped her weapon. The beast charged at the raven-haired girl. Blake could hear Port's frustration but it only served to spur her on, bringing a glint to her golden eyes. The Boarbatusk was closing in on her and Blake pressed her back against a wall. At the last second she leapt into the air, then activated her semblance and leapt once more, using her shadow clone as a platform. She cleared the beast with ease causing it to barrel into the wall and flip onto its back once more.

A single breath later and Blake had cut through the air, slicing Myrtenaster through her shadow clone before forcing it into the creature of Grimm's chest. "NO!" came a pained cry from Ruby. Blake couldn't even believe it. Here Ruby had just watched the Boarbatusk nearly steamroll her sister, and yet she still wanted it to live. She ripped the blade from the now lifeless husk.

Weiss appeared next to the snake Faunus, delicate hands resting over Blake's calloused fingers. Blake tensed slightly as Weiss tenderly rested Myrtenaster from Blake's grip.

"Blake, I-" she paused for thought, thinking how best to go about thanking her partner, or if she even wanted to. A part of her hated that Blake had played the hero once again, a part of her hated that disgusted look in Blake's eyes, a part of her even knew she deserved it. She had failed, she let her emotions get in the way and it nearly killed her. She didn't dare factor in the domino effect it would have had on Ruby.

"Save it! Of course I wasn't going to let my partner die!" Weiss flinched; Blake was irate and had found the perfect target to take out all her frustration on, much like she had on Ruby yesterday. Blake had been keeping her emotions bottled up; very few actually related to Ruby or Weiss but the floodgates were already opened. "What the hell is wrong with you Weiss? That should have been easy! YOU HAD IT! Why, oh why did you hesitate!?"

The answer was the one to speak up. Ruby stood from her seat, batting away Yang. "What the hell is your problem with my sister!?" she shouted above the chaos. Professor Port was observing intently, a blood vessel threatening to pop on the side of his head.

Blake gulped. _Dammit Ruby…_

Weiss couldn't help but share Blake's thought. This wasn't going to end well; Blake was uncaged and enraged beyond reason by something yet dumbfounding the heiress. Blake pirouetted seamlessly, fiery amber eyes locking with equally intense silver. "My problem? If it wasn't for me, you're sister would've been dead because of you!"

Those words brought everything to a halt. Blake's wrath immediately vanished, replaced with incredible amounts of sorrow and guilt. Weiss, who had been prepared to resign herself to Blake's castigation, was full of fear, anxiety and her own fury. Yang was shocked into near paralysis, speechless at her best friend's treatment of her partner. No one else knew how to react, not even the previously frustrated professor.

Ruby shook, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice croaky "I-I-"

"Ruby I'm so, so, sorry I don't know what I was-" before Blake could even finish attempting to perform damage control the distraught redhead had already fled, a pile of rose petals forming by Yang. She instead turned to her partner. "Weiss I, I didn't mean to-"

"Shut. Up." was all Weiss's scathing response consisted of before the heiress disappeared, following her sister's trail.

Blake didn't move, she was too busy wallowing in anguish and self-pity. Weiss, Ruby and Yang were the only three people she had relaxed around since the incident, the only three she had even considered letting in. And now Weiss and Ruby had fled from class and Yang was sitting in shock, utter disbelief painted on her face. She was screwing everything up once again… and she already had her second chance in life.

"C-class dismissed!" called Port before shooting a glance to Yang, signalling her to catch up and talk with Weiss as soon as possible. Disappearing in a flash, Yang left Blake alone in class with a disintegrating Boarbatusk and yet another regret. "Blake Belladonna!" The snake Faunus didn't even attempt to move as Port spoke. "May I have a word with you!?"


	11. The Burdens of Badges Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not a fan of how this chapter turned out. It's one of those that had so much happening that it would have benefitted from having a similar length to most of Nightshade and Roses' chapters (which are between 3k and 6k rather than 2k and 4k). Still I hope this was up to the standard you expect of me.

He had demanded she stay behind but twenty seconds had passed in silence. Blake counted. With a bored sigh the raven-haired girl finally decided that Port wasn't going to begin this lecture, ironically it would be the only one Blake would ever care about.

"What do you want?" she spat venomously, not bothering to play nice with her superior.

Port's gaze met hers and she stood her ground, golden eyes burning with an intense flame locking with the peachy canvases that sealed off her professor's eyes. She couldn't suppress a smile, Port had the advantage and yet she still could feel his resolve weaken. She had won a confrontation that Port had no way of losing. His head dropped and he let out a reluctant sigh, an element of anger evident in the exhale. "Ms. Belladonna, would you care to explain your actions in-"

"No." Blake cut him off swiftly much to his dismay that stretched her smile further upwards. If Port wasn't going to give her a life lesson, or at least punish her for her reckless approach to Ruby, then she wasn't going to listen to his drawling any longer than she had to. "I would however be VERY interested in why you were willing to let a fifteen year old watch as her sister was killed…."

Port grunted angrily, a slightly chuckle disguised in it. He couldn't help but admire Blake's courage and willingness to challenge authority. He didn't appreciate the challenge, and he'd be sure to remind her of her place in due time, but he had to admire the girl's tenacity and spirit. "Blake, do you honestly believe I would have prevented you from saving your partner if her life was in danger?" Port asked pointedly.

Blake opened her mouth to retort but quickly closed it, Port was right; the Schnee Dust Company was part of the backbone of both the military and the hunter ancestry. Risking Weiss's life in the classroom would be detrimental to the future of humanity. Seeing her resignation Port continued, offering at least some explanation. "Ms. Schnee was a fool in class-"

"Weiss was a damn graceful fighter and proved more than a match for the Grimm…" Blake interrupted clearly irked at Port's vitriolic assessment of her partner. The interruption both surprised and annoyed Port whose tone rose in intensity, his voice reaching a shout.

"She let her sister's idealism get the better of her conscience and lowered her guard! What happened to her today was of her own doing!" Blake's hands balled up into fists as she held her tongue, teeth gritting together and nails digging into her palms. Port caught his student's body language and backed off slightly, recovering to his more reasonable self. "I believe the best way to condition these mistakes out of my students is to make them witness the consequences of their actions."

"How did that work out for ya…?" Blake mumbled, making sure she was loud enough for Port to hear.

Port finally moved, strolling across the classroom to pick up a small device that lay on the ground by the now non-existent corpse of Blake's kill. "I don't know… you interrupted and saved Weiss. Ruby did not have to witness the pain she'd have indirectly caused her sister." He returned to Blake whom had yet to move from the spot she had been standing in when Ruby and Weiss stormed out. "And you spared Weiss from suffering her own reminder that losing focus could prove fatal…"

Blake swallowed hard; Port's words were sadistic and cold-blooded. She arrived at Beacon to live a simpler life, away from the ruthless barbarism that had dictated her very existence for the last seventeen years. And yet, even surrounded by those who had sworn to protect the realm from those who would bring it harm, it was still survival of the fittest, it was still merciless training without restraint or care. _Why does the world have to be so broken?_

"So you would let Weiss suffer debilitating injuries to ensure that they didn't forget their failures?" Blake asked solemnly, her voice weak and croaky for the first time since the confrontation had begun. Port just nodded his head stiffly, his face expressionless. "Fuck…" was all Blake could muster, all words failing her right now, mostly because Port's method, barbaric and chaotic as it may have been, WOULD have worked. _Must we all already be shattered so that we have nothing to lose and nothing to fear? Is hopelessness the only key to survival and victory?_

Sensing Blake's discomfort, Port handed over the device, a small chip laced in yellow dust. "This probably won't help, but that right there was my only ever invention: a micro-bomb that is designed to be implanted in Grimm, when detonated the electrical charge will cook them from the inside. My methods may be cruel but they are not without their safeguards. Weiss's life was never in danger." Blake now held the chip in the palm of her hands, a tiny yet destructive weapon. "And for what it's worth: lessons this extreme are rarities, but sometimes cold, ruthless system shocks are all that will do…"

Port plucked the chip from Blake's open palm and placed it in his right pocket. She swallowed again before looking back up to Port. Without another word she stepped forward and pulled the teacher into a hug, entirely uncharacteristic of her and startling the bitter Grimm Researcher.

"Thank you." You whispered with feigned emotion, her left hand falling to his belt and silently plucking away a small button-topped cylinder whilst her right hand skimmed down his arm, her touch too light to be noticed. Her hand stopped just above its destination and two fingers slithered into Port's pocket, careful not to press against the thinner material lining the inside of his trouser. As quick as they entered, Blake's thin fingers had retracted and she pulled away.

Port stood there in mild shock as Blake began walking away but managed to shake himself back to reality before she left.

"I want a full report on five species of Grimm native to the Emerald Forest on my desk by next class. As for your little outburst… you may wish to consider just how heartless your own approach to Ruby and Weiss was. Neither of us are monsters, Blake, but as their teammate it is your job to be there for them. My job is to make sure they survive in the world after Beacon…"

Blake didn't even glance back she just let out a disgusted, silent chuckle and glanced down at her prizes. Port would figure out it was her, but she was in no danger. Port couldn't afford drawing attention to the device, after all he didn't invent it… and those who did were no longer public enemy number one, and so had to no reason to deny their hand in its creation.

"You'll get your report by tomorrow." She called back over her shoulder before leaving, content to waste the rest of the day regurgitating knowledge she had memorised a decade ago. It was easy work, and exactly what she needed to allow herself to think.

* * *

_Blake's right…of course she is. I almost got my sister killed…_

The fifteen year old crimson reaper was curled up, sobbing in a closet, re-enacting one for the most worn down clichés in history. She didn't give that a second thought however. All she could think about was Weiss's broken body, the image of "what would have been" burned into her mind. Ruby had sworn to protect Weiss, sworn to be her aegis in her time of need. And yet her conscience had led to the redhead protecting the Boarbatusk, crying out for its safety and distracting Weiss.

Another image flashed through her mind. This one of the same Grimm rearing up onto its back legs before slamming back down, driving its forelegs into Weiss's back with a sickening crack as Weiss was rendered immobile. Ruby managed to stave it off, taking solace in the reminder that that never happened, but it only brought her more contempt for herself. She had failed her sister, broken her promise, and nearly got the only person she'd ever cared about killed. She sniffed again and wiped the stinging tears from her eyes, bringing the sleeve of her combat skirt up to wipe away the streaks that stained her face.

"Pathetic…" she whispered to herself, her hoarse sobs having rendered her throat sore and painful. The word, as silent as it was, was still reduced to a croak.

Outside she heard the faint sound of a familiar velvety voice, laced with worry and caution. "Ruby?" it called. It was Weiss. It would always be Weiss, how could it not be? She had no one else. Doing what little she could to hide her duress she braced herself. "WEISS!" called out a second voice, this one imbued with uncertainty and nervousness. Finally Ruby pulled the door open, her only desire to apologise to Weiss for her failures. Desires that were stopped dead by an unexpected figure standing before her.

"We need to talk, Ms Rose."

* * *

Weiss had been searching for ten minutes, her pursuit of her sister proving fruitless. That was to be expected though, her semblance was active when Ruby left the classroom, which meant the redhead could be anywhere from their dorm room to the Forest of Forever Fall by now. "Ruby!?" she called again, bouncing up onto her toe tips and scanning the crowd of familiar students that had poured out of Port's classroom behind her when he ended class early. She let out a sigh at the lack of sanguine or black within the horde.

The size she had cursed moments prior became a blessing as she began to lithely duck and weave her way through the bunched up mob, her speed and small frame making it easy to meander between the students. Reaching the end of the crowd she hopped onto a bench and gave the crowd a second glance. "Still nothing…" she sulked anxiously.

 _Maybe I should check the Emerald-_ she paused, her white, furry ears perking up and twitching slightly. _Is that… crying?_ Failing to suppress a gulp she followed her senses, pushing through the door on her left and continuing into another too long corridor. She completely ignored the call of her own name behind her and continued on down the hall. "Ruby?" she called out again.

"WEISS!" came the voice that stalked her again, loud but lacking in any kind of gravity. Nevertheless she recognised it and, not wanting to discourage Yang's potential spike in assertion, she spun around, diverting her attention momentarily. Weiss didn't speak but Yang knew she had a few seconds of her attention.

"Uh…" she hesitated slightly which resulted in Weiss rolling her eyes, she really didn't want to cold shoulder Yang right now but this was just wasteful, and she could hear her sister's sobs. Seeing her turn away, Yang got slightly desperate. "Canwetalk?" she blurted out. She wasn't entirely certain why she was obeying Port's without a second thought, but her gut hadn't failed her yet… well, at least not since stepping back onto Remnant…

"Of course we can Yang, but after we find Ruby, okay?" Weiss replied sweetly, attempting to disguise her slight annoyance and stress with a warm smile.

"A-actually it's Ruby I want to talk about." Yang clarified nervously, admittedly intimidated by the subject she was about to breach and, at this instance, the girl she was about to breach it with.

Weiss let out a groan, immediately apologising to Yang for doing so. "I'm sorry, it's nothing against you. I just-" she let out an exasperated sigh. "All I care about right now is-" she was interrupted by a door opening, a slight creak echoing through the surprisingly vacant corridor from the somewhat rusty hinges of a rarely used closet. Weiss peered around but did not run. She made no attempts to cover the distance between herself and Ruby because someone else was there already. Professor Ozpin, the exact person Ruby needed to speak with right now.

Scratching the back of her head, Yang stepped forward and placed a hand ever so slightly too heavily on the petite porcelain body of her teammate. "Ruby's got Professor Ozpin to talk to; she'll be okay for the next few minutes." Weiss shrugged off the hand pressing down on her shoulder and Yang immediately recoiled, something that went amiss to Weiss who twirled on the spot.

"Fine." the heiress consented slightly petulantly. "Lead the way."

* * *

"Ruby Rose. Do you know who I am?"

"Of course, you're Professor Ozpin. You're the headmaster here, and were there for mine and Weiss's trials by combat to gain entrance into Beacon."

Ozpin nodded as he continued guiding Ruby down a labyrinth of corridors. "Indeed. That means I know exactly what you're capable of, and how ruthless you can be on the battlefield." They walked out into the courtyard, Ozpin sparing a single glance at the statue centrepiece before they entered another building. Ruby recognised it as the office block.

"You have done the impossible Ruby; you have gained admittance into the most prestigious academy in all of Vale two years early. That one single credential is a foreshadowing for legends to come… you could be a myth a dozen generations from now. But something is stopping you; something is keeping you caged and merciful. And to help you we need to know what that is."

The duo came to a stop outside of Ozpin's office and he pushed the door open. The pair entered and Ruby sat down as Ozpin poured two cups of coffee, handing one to the red haired teen. Ruby took a sip and seethed slightly at the liquid fire that scorched her lips. Ozpin merely raised an eye brow in response. "Do you believe the Grimm are a threat to the world professor?"

Ozpin regarded her with indifference as he replied. "Honestly, no. That is why this academy is military first, hunters second." Ruby smiled and went to speak but was cut off, Ozpin already knowing that she would attempt to twist his words to make her point. "I do not believe the Grimm are a threat, at least not to society. And until they do enter the walls of our kingdom I will remain sceptic about the teachings of myths and folklore, I won't prevent it, but I myself will not believe it. THAT BEING SAID: The Grimm ARE a threat. They will do whatever it takes to rip you, your sister or your friends limb from limb. They are predators Ruby, and kill without hesitation. If you wish to protect Weiss, you must do the same."

The redhead failed to hide her shock as she gulped and took a step back. "I know" Ruby began. "It's just that Port-"

"Peter is a very cold and bitter individual. He is a Grimm Researcher, and a bad one at that."

"Then why do you-" Ruby tried to argue but was cut off again.

"Because this line of education needs people like him that are willing to do exactly what you saw today. You may hate him, every student in this school may loathe him, and perhaps even some teachers like Ms. Goodwitch may despise him. BUT he accepts that burden, he accepts that hate, to ensure that every last one of his students know exactly what needs to be done to survive; either as a soldier or as a hunter."

Ruby's gaze lowered, and Ozpin regarded her again, this time with curiosity and intrigue. "Ruby, why are you lying to your family about your training history?"

Ruby's head snapped up, meeting Ozpin's and she began to stumble, nerves setting in. "What? I never, I-I-"

"Don't try and lie to me Ms. Rose. I've rarely seen scythe wielders of your skill, in fact I've only seen one, and he is a retired hunter teaching at Signal. Nobody gets that good in three months Ruby; nobody gets that good in three years. You've been training for something, preparing. And I want to know what for, because it clearly isn't the Grimm…"

The headmaster paused, giving Ruby ample time to respond, even enough to create a bold-faced lie if she so desired, but nothing happened. Ruby's body language told the story. She was unsettled by Ozpin's questioning, unnerved at some prospect or other and neither spoke for several minutes. "Very well" Ozpin finally stated breaking the tense silence. "Don't tell me. I don't need to know… your sister on the other hand…" he let Ruby finish his last sentence in her head. "You are dismissed."

* * *

"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT!?"

Yang jumped back, placing some distance between herself and an irate Weiss. The girl's reaction was unexpectedly rage-filled and without restraint, though the blonde didn't know exactly why she hadn't expected it. Weiss herself managed to catch her fury and reel it back in, turning away from Yang whom did not deserve her rage.

"I know exactly what happened out there Yang. I heard the pain in Ruby's voice. I saw the fear in her eyes when she called my name. I witnessed my life flash before my eyes. You're preaching to the choir, one that is too goddamn scared to tell Ruby that she isn't cut out for this!" She exhaled and let her eyelids fall over her blue eyes, her head bowed slightly and it wasn't until she felt a hand on her shoulder that she looked back up to her leader.

"You're wrong Weiss…" the blonde quietly challenged, her lip set in a line as Weiss's narrowed eyes scrutinised her face. She felt like crumbling under that gaze but managed to hold steady, save for an involuntary gulp. "Ruby is more than capable of graduating Beacon. She may want to ask questions before pulling the trigger but she can do this. And she will do this, because she loves you. And after today I doubt she'll ever let history repeat itself so long as she breathes…"

She felt Weiss shudder under her cautiously gentle touch. "…but we still need to make sure this doesn't happen again." She paused slightly trying to collect and organise her thoughts. "A-and if she hasn't already then Ruby needs to-to wake up and realise that the world she inserted herself into is not perfect, hell that's why she's here, it's-it's why we're all here… to make it better."

A few seconds past with nary a word being spoken. Weiss contented herself with enjoying having Yang play the big sister that she herself had acted out so fervently over the last decade. Yang spend a short moment admiring that Weiss cared more for Ruby's psychology than the fact that Weiss had been literally inches away from death, paralysis or, at the very least, severe injury. It was eventually Weiss that broke the neutral silence. "So where in the world did that come from?"

"Huh?" was all Yang's response consisted of, entirely unsure what her friend was inquiring about.

"That confidence… just yesterday you were shocked speechless by Ruby simply ignoring you; here I do the same and you press on In spite of it."

A warm blush crossed Yang's features, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink at the compliment. She began fiddling with her yellow mane. "Heheh, uh… it helps when I already know what to say." Her cheeks flushed redder still as she realised that Weiss was giving her too much credit. "And I ended up stuttering several times…"

"Less than normal though." Weiss reminded with a smile. "I like seeing you this assertive." Yang chuckled quietly before remembering that she was still essentially caressing Weiss's shoulder. She pulled her hand away with the blush returning full force before it could even fully fade. Weiss rolled her eyes at the action. "Now come on, we need to go find Ruby."

Spending several seconds to recover Yang worked up the courage to speak; her voice sheepish but brave. "No, you need to go find and talk to Blake. I'm sure she feels bad about what happened, and she could do with knowing that she isn't against the world. I'll get Ruby, take her back home and find some way to keep her busy." Weiss let out another petulant groan clearly desperate to make sure Ruby was okay. She nodded in submission nonetheless. "See you back at the dorm." And with that Yang set off to find Ruby, leaving Weiss alone to think about what she wanted to say to Blake when she found her. _  
_


	12. The Burdens of Our Badges Part 2

Team JNPR were just figures in the crowd of people that spilled out of Professor Port's classroom when he dismissed everyone early due to conflict between Team RWBY. Ren remained uncomfortably quiet alongside the rest of the team as the gravity of what happened to their closest friends outside of one another sunk in.

"There must be something we can-"

"No Ren, there isn't…"

Pyrrha eyed up Jaune, a clear look of irritation at the blonde's venomous voice as he shut down their all-too-eager leader. He was right though. Whatever Team RWBY's issues were, at the end of the day they were Team RWBY's issue. It was down to them to get past this and Pyrrha doubted she deserved to know of, or could aid in resolving, their personal conflicts.

Right now it was for the best to keep out of it. The last thing Blake needed right now was someone else treating her like she was the bad guy, and the last thing Ruby needed right now was confirmation that she nearly cost her sister her life to save a potentially soulless killer. Besides, they had their own problems… or at least their own problem.

"Ahem." called Pyrrha with a clear of her throat, gaining the attention of her worried team. "Could you and Nora go on ahead? I'd like to speak with Jaune for a minute."

"Sure thing." called Nora before tugging gently on Ren's sleeve. "Come on, I'll make us some pancakes."

Those words reminded Ren's stomach to grumble. "Ooh, let's go then. Do we have maple syrup? Sugar? Strawberry sauce?" his excitement grew with each topping he rattled off. "Oh, and those cinnamon pancakes from last night were deeeelicious!"

Jaune raised an eyebrow at his boisterous leader but it quickly fell as Pyrrha scowled at him out of Ren's line of sight. He hated seeing Pyrrha frown, he hated it more knowing that it was justified. He knew he was projecting his own self-resentment onto Ren, but he couldn't help himself. It was his way of coping with the realisation that Beacon didn't see him as up to leadership standard.

Pyrrha took action the second she saw the vibrant colours of her teammates disappear into the sea of students. She pushed Jaune into an empty classroom effectively isolating him from the crowd. Wasting no time she pivoted to face him. "What's been going on with you since the ceremony?"

Startled by the direct approach of his teammate, Jaune couldn't help but flinch. Pyrrha wasn't beating around the bush, and likely wasn't going to accept vague responses. That didn't mean he wasn't going to try. "You wouldn't understand Pyrrha…" he stated flatly. Pyrrha's response was immediate, and accompanied by an arm fold and a raised eyebrow.

"Try me."

"No Pyrrha, I mean it, there's nothing you can do…" Jaune continued, clutching his naïve optimism.

"Oh come on Jaune!" Pyrrha challenged, her voice reaching a quiet shout. "What exactly is wrong with Ren being leader? And what about it could be so alien to me? Just tell me what's going on!"

"You can't help me with this Pyrrha!" reiterated Jaune, his own voice now rising slightly.

"Give me one good reason why not!" Pyrrha retorted, her ire further increasing at Jaune's attempt to shut her out.

Something in Jaune's mind snapped then and he spoke without thinking. "Because nobody expects you to succeed!" he shouted, immediately regretting the words.

Pyrrha slapped him across his face, the blonde making no attempt to activate his aura or his semblance. His head whipped viciously to the left as the sound echoed around the empty classroom. Jaune's gaze fell to floor whilst his own hand rose to rub the stinging flesh that was beginning to glow a deep crimson. Pyrrha took a few seconds to recompose but still spoke through seething breaths and with a hint of vexation.

"Jaune, you are allowed to wallow in self-pity if you choose to. We can even forgive you for your treatment of Ren these last few waking hour but don't you DARE be so ignorant as to make assumptions about what your teammates are going through!" Pyrrha was glaring daggers at Jaune when he finally plucked up the courage to meet her gaze. "You're right, maybe my family doesn't pressurise, but that doesn't mean I don't have someone to fail…"

Pyrrha eyed him up for a second, sneaking a quick glimpse at the red handprint marking his left cheek. She smiled at the sight but quickly continued her rant. "I came from nothing, Jaune. People called me a diamond in the rough, the one that would make something of myself and drag my family out of obscurity. And I promised myself that I would do just that. That's why I'm here: to make a name for myself AND the Nikos line." Her jaw was clenched as she spoke, evidence that she didn't actually want to be talking at that moment. "And if I fail here then I fail myself, my family, my team, my friends AND Beacon Academy. Sound familiar?"

Jaune took a step forward, Pyrrha's name on his lips but the redhead cut him off with a single question, the one he didn't want to answer. "So what's so important about you being the leader of Team Juniper?"

His gaze dropped back to the floor and he let out a sigh of defeat. "It's not about me being the leader and more about me not…" Pyrrha gave him a look prompting him to better explain himself. "My father expects me to surpass my great-great-grandfather; you know the legendary war hero there are history books dedicated to?"

"Oh…"

Unable to stop himself, Jaune let out a somewhat amused chuckled. "Yeah: 'Oh…' My father wants me to me to eclipse a legend but…" Jaune failed to finish his sentence and so Pyrrha took up the task for him, knowing exactly what was running through his mind.

"But you're not the leader of your team like your father was."

"Precisely" Jaune confirmed in an emotionless voice, his shoulders slumped and he leaned idly against a stool. "How can I possibly meet his expectations when I can't even meet him?"

A brief silence consumed the pair, neither knowing exactly what to say or do as they processed the information each had placed on the table. Pyrrha was the one to break it. "Well Jaune, I know you shouldn't be taking it out on Ren" Jaune went to object but Pyrrha walked up to him and placed a finger on his lips, non-verbally hushing him. "Would your father react this way?"

Turning his head to left he removed Pyrrha's touch from his lips and immediately found himself missing it. "No…" he admitted sulkily in response to his friend.

"What would he do?

"He'd prove to everyone that he was the best. He'd train day in and day out, from dusk 'til dawn until there was no denying that he was the greatest that Beacon had to offer…" Pyrrha's face dropped as she realised where this was heading but Jaune wouldn't allow her to speak. "It's so obvious! I've just gotta show Ozpin that I deserve to be a leader!"

Catching Pyrrha off-guard, Jaune drew her into a grateful hug before darting out of the room. Pyrrha just looked on in bewilderment. She couldn't shake the feeling that this had actually only gotten worse…

* * *

Weiss spent most of the day wandering aimlessly in search of Blake. It was rather pointless really, Blake's Monday was hectic. She'd be bouncing between lecture theatres most likely. After failing to locate her in Blake's second and last free period, Weiss busied herself with small errands and waited for Combat Theory which she shared with Blake, Ruby and Yang.

The hour passed quickly and she soon found herself in the duelling arena where Glynda was explaining the basics to those unfamiliar with the concept. Weiss let out a short laugh, amused at the notion that anyone training to be a hunter would be unfamiliar with the rules of honour duels.

She took in her surroundings again, noting the lack of presence of Blake. She couldn't help feeling slightly flippant at her partner's behaviour. With Blake absent, it meant that they were shut out from any team demonstrations, luckily it sounded more like today would be a one on one exhibition. She shuffled closer to Ruby whom had been silent ever since arriving. The wolf Faunus tilted her head, lazily resting it against her sister's shoulder.

Yang was also slightly worried by her friend missing class; she was there in Weaponsmithing but sat on her own. Several guys hit on her and she gave them death stares, including one hyena Faunus. Granted they were already there when Yang arrived so it could be excusable, but then Blake blanked her and bolted from the classroom the minute the class ended. The only difference between Blake' other three classes, all of which she had attended, and Combat Theory was that Weiss and Ruby were in Combat Theory…

"Now, do I have any volunteers to demonstrate this type of duel?" Glynda asked the crowd.

Weiss saw Yang's finger twitch but the blonde seemed to decide against it, they were a little too on edge at that moment for fighting anyone to be considered a good idea. Glynda scanned the room and saw several hands shoot up, Ren shifted his body to hide Pyrrha's and Glynda raised an eyebrow at the pointless action. Beacon Academy knew full-well of Pyrrha's decision to not use aura, and they would not force her to use such a thing for an exhibition.

Her gaze rose from Ren whom was getting questioned by Nora about his behaviour and settled on the door that was opening. Her eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing Blake enter. "Ah, Ms. Belladonna nice of you to join us, since you appear confident enough in your abilities that you would rather skip the actual education I'm sure you have no problems demonstrating how to duel."

Blake's lips twitched slightly upwards as she walked towards the small combat arena. "Of course, Ms. Goodwitch" she said politely before whispering "I was kind of counting on it" to herself. She gave a passing nod to her team before stepping onto the stage.

"And who would be her opponent?"

"Might I suggest Radley Weasel, Ms. Goodwitch? He appears to be just as inattentive as myself…" Glynda's gaze snapped to a hyena Faunus before returning to Blake.

"Very well, Radley you are to be her opponent…"

Radley let out a groan before stepping up to the stage. The girl had already blown him off once today already and now she had grassed on him for joking around with his friends, he was actually looking forward to hurting her.

He drew both of his shotels and lunged forward. Blake simply leaped backwards and allowed him to introduce himself to her shadow clone. The moment of confusion that followed was quickly brought to an end as Blake dashed forward, cleaver at the ready. She ripped the blade across the boy's stomach with enough force behind to tear him open had is aura not protected him.

He keeled over in pain as the resulting small cut began to seep small amounts of blood. Blake followed up her attack by ducking beneath a slow sweep from the bully and pirouetted on the spot the second she was clear. Gambol Shroud carved down the Hyena Faunus's back and she finished the assault off with a quick slash to his right thigh. He fell to his knees; no one reacted because his aura was, impressively, still in the orange.

Blake strolled up to him and cupped his cheek in her right palm with a smile on her face. "Wasn't that fun?" she asked sarcastically before "gently" tapping his cheek twice, the tiny amount of force behind it caused his aura to drop to the red and the match was called. Blake didn't stay to be commended or chided, whichever it may have been for her victory and walked back out without a care as Radley's three friends swarmed around him, one of them had his eyes glued to the back of Blake as she disappeared through the door.

Weiss wasted no time in stalking after her, giving only a light peck to the top of Ruby's head a parting nod to Yang whom wished her luck. Yang turned to Ruby. "So about that necklace…"

* * *

It took Weiss several minutes to finally trace Blake's footsteps to the library. She approached her partner the second she sat down and pulled out a small book on beowolves. The approach could've been better received.

"Hi."

"Hi?"

That was it: Two greetings, no smiles or nods or handshakes, just two girls staring at each other in an awkward silence. Weiss shuffled on her feet for a short while before finding something to say.

"Where have you been all day?"

Blake just motioned to the five pages of handwritten notes she had stacked up neatly. "Here. Port gave me extra writing to do for saving your life." Weiss chuckled silently for a second, content to not relive any actual memories from that morning and just embrace the anecdotes that she hoped would follow. "I figured you guys would want some time alone and so I came here to get this work out of the way. You'd find me when you wanted to talk to me." A pregnant pause followed before Blake added "And you found me…"

Weiss's reaction was one of sarcasm, an unsuccessful attempt at breaking the ice "How very perceptive of you Sherlock." Blake's response was to sigh and return to her writing which prompted Weiss to be more direct. "Sorry Blake, I just… I was always the one people were courteous to…"

Blake tilted her head slightly up, provided Weiss a small peak at her golden irises that were looking up at the heiress. A single onyx eyebrow rose as she spoke. "Courteous?" she muttered slightly apprehensively despite a smile cracking on her lips.

"Uh… yeah…" Weiss closed the distance between them and slipped into the chair opposite her partner. "I actually came to say thank you."

That got a more animated response from Blake, her head whipping up, a look of shock on her face as she eyed up her partner. "Thank you?" the raven-haired girl asked slowly in disbelief.

She nodded in confirmation. "Thank you for having the guts to shock Ruby back to reality…" Blake went to interject but Weiss cut off her, holding up a hand. "I don't want to hear it Blake. What you did today may have been cruelly brash…"

Amber eyes fell to the table; the girl's guilt still evident. Weiss, exercising what she knew from handling Ruby, reached across and cup Blake's left hand between her own. Blake noticeably tensed. "But as long as Ruby comes out of this for the better, I can't hold it against you. And she won't either… she's a lot of things Blake, and believe it or not one of those things is mature. Deep down I know she'll know she needed to hear it."

Blake flashed the beginnings of a smile, seeing her partner perk up Weiss pushed on. "And after what happened this morning? I'm sure she knows you weren't level-headed, even before you saved my life." _Again_ Weiss thought bitterly.

Blake's response to the bolted on sentences were less than satisfactory. She jerked her hand away from Weiss's and let it settle on her own lap. Weiss immediately scolded herself for bringing up what was clearly out of bounds. "You don't have to tell me anything Blake. I won't ask you to. But just know that there are people around who listen and worry. Whatever your problem is we will be there to help you through it… if you want us to be."

Physically, Blake smiled, but a part of her, right at the back of her brain kept whispering of conspiracies, survival and betrayal. When the heiress stood from her feet, Blake surprised herself with her actions. She reached out. She stood from her own chair and her hand was mere inches from Weiss's wrist. Her partner had turned away and didn't notice the movement, and when she turned back to investigate the source of the chair scraping across carpet Blake had already reeled her hand back to her side. "So… I guess I should apologise to Ruby…"

* * *

Blake had asked if she could pick up a book for Yang on the way back and Weiss consented, so they took a small detour to the on-campus shop. This mean the sun had begun to set now and, moments before walking into their, Weiss pulled on Blake's shoulder and the brunette stopped. "What is it?"

"What was that thing with Radley back in Combat Theory?"

Blake just shrugged. "I needed to blow off steam and he annoyed me in Weaponsmithing, hit on me actually." Blake shuddered dramatically before continuing. "So I figured he'd be the perfect target. Ignoring the slaps at the end, I don't think I treated him any differently to anyone else who would've stood opposite me…" Blake never mentioned that their harassment of Yang in the assembly hall also played a major part, and Weiss never mentioned that Blake's words made her blood run cold.

"Well, try to take it easy. Not everyone will have the aura strength to survive assaults like that; you could've killed him with that thigh slash easy…"

Blake shuddered again, this time involuntarily. She didn't apologise or even speak however and instead just pushed the door open and headed inside. Weiss let out sigh and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Yet another thing to add to 'the box of stuff Blake refuses to talk about'… so infuriating sometimes!"

Inside Yang was brewing up one of her signature flasks of coffee. She turned and smiled upon seeing Blake and Weiss but frowned at the silence between them. Seeing her expression Weiss waved her off and ensured her that everything was fine. "Just Blake being Blake then?" she murmured before casting a worried glance at her best friend.

"We all have our secrets for now Yang." Weiss reminded her before the two turned to face Blake who was now approaching Ruby; the redhead was staring intently at the setting sun. The dark-themed girl scrambled over the bed towards the window sill the younger teen was sat at and patted her caringly on the shoulder.

"Hey Ruby." she began though wasn't treated with a response. Blake wasn't even sure Ruby was paying attention and so looked uneasily to Weiss who gave a curt nod for her to continue. "Ruby I'm-"

"I'm sorry Blake." interrupted Ruby and Blake was stunned for the second time that day.

"You two are oracular…" she finally muttered, getting a confused hum in response from the apologising redhead. "Enigmatic." Blake clarified earning another hum of recognition before Ruby continued.

"When I came to Beacon, I did so because Weiss was the only person in this world that meant something to me. The idea of Weiss being here, her life in the hands of complete strangers… it terrified me. I couldn't sleep the night of her trial and so I watched, she was beautiful, elegant and flawless." Weiss smiled proudly, her vanity getting the better of her. "I didn't want to see that." Weiss mouthed the words with her. "Because it meant she was going. In that single moment I begged our father to talk Ozpin into staying for another trial… I don't think anyone expected me to pass, let alone outperform Weiss."

Weiss frowned at that, not out of jealousy, but out of sadness. "You didn't want her to pass, did you?" asked Yang and Weiss answered with a shake of her head.

"So you came to Beacon, with no idea exactly what you would be asked to do in order to stay here, in order to protect Weiss? Talk about irresponsible..." Blake knew this was meant to be a time for apologies, forgiveness, forgetting and opening up, but she couldn't help it. It was in her nature to call it as she saw it. Thankfully everyone just seemed to shrug the comment off. "But it doesn't explain your feelings toward Grimm, Faunus or Humans…"

Weiss stepped forward, strolling through the tiny kitchen area and into the living space. "You asked me to leave you to your thoughts Blake, leave Ruby to hers…"

Amber eyes met azure.

Blake knew she was exercising double standards right now. She knew they could trust her, but she didn't know she could trust them. She didn't know why but that made her feel entitled to her team's secrets. At least it did until Ruby spoke.

"Please."

Her voice wasn't pleading or frightened, in fact it was emotionless. It was simple understanding and respect, Ruby had her reasons and didn't want to share them, Blake's sense of entitlement faded into absolute understanding.

"You don't need to tell me Ruby..." Blake sighed before continuing, clearly disappointed that she couldn't find out more about the Delphic fifteen year-old. "So long as today doesn't repeat itself-"

"It won't!" Ruby cut in, pulling away and turning to her three teammates before continuing: "I-I came here to protect Weiss, I came here to protect my family. I promised myself that I would do whatever it took to keep Weiss safe." Weiss flinched. To most that would be hyperbole, but Weiss couldn't shake the feeling that Ruby meant it. "And-and" tears began to stream down Ruby's face. "And, if that means doing… that… then I will."

Blake just stared at Ruby, tears were flowing from the youngster but there were no sobs, no pained looked, but no happiness either. It was as if someone turned on the waterworks but forgot to tell her to actually cry. Weiss shot over to her in an instance, cradling the younger girl's head against her chest, Ruby's tears dampening Weiss's collarbone and jacket.

"Shhh…" Weiss hushed gently, kneading her fingers through Ruby's black and red locks. "It's okay Ruby, you don't need to do this. Not for me." Ruby pulled away slightly, her tear filled eyes asking a question without words. Weiss answered immediately. "I mean this isn't what you want; you don't have to kill for me. I'll be fine."

"But I won't be…" Ruby replied pensively before resting her head back against her sister's chest. Weiss just leaned back, lying down on Blake's bed and allowed Ruby to sidle up next to her, Ruby contentedly nuzzling against her sister's bolero jacket.

"Then prove it, sis." Ruby looked up to Weiss, her cheek now planted firmly against the older, white-themed girl's shoulder as she fixed her with a quizzical look. "Smile." Weiss challenged with a beam of her own. Ruby did just that, she wiped away the tears and her lips stretched into a smile. "There's my beautiful sister…"

Blake was now sat cross-legged in the only space afforded to her by the wolf and lion Faunus, the very corner. She glanced to Yang whom just shrugged in response. "So… are we okay?" Blake asked cautiously to which Ruby just nodded. Blake followed up with "Just like that?" and Weiss nodded.

A pleasant silence fell upon the four girls, Weiss and Ruby hugging on Blake's bed, Blake sat awkwardly nearby not wanting to disturb the content sisters and Yang in what Beacon considered a kitchen.

Remembering the coffee that was still steaming, Yang handed Blake one before taking a seat on her own bed. "So… what do we do now?" she asked shyly and Blake just shrugged before the door burst open and Ren stepped in, an apologising Nora behind him and Pyrrha pushing past both.

"Have any of you guys seen Jaune? No one's seen him since Grimm Studies."

Weiss let out a groan before sitting up. Ruby's head flopped against the mattress as her sister moved and she sat up with her. "I guess we find Jaune..."


	13. Smouldering Sunset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Wasn't expecting this to reach the length it did, then again I also wasn't expecting it to take a week and a half to write (education sucks don't it?) so I'm fine with the length. Anyways: Someone brought up shipping in a series of PMs to me. So I figured I'd mention something now. Anyone who has any shipping requests (be it established ships, random pairings or a request not to ship at all) feel free to tell me in a comment or a PM. Right now I do have ideas, but I sincerely hope to make any ships (if any do happen at all) good enough that everyone is fine with it, even if they aren't happy about it. So yeah:
> 
> Who do you think will get together at the moment (Bumbleby isn't a valid answer)? Do you want anyone to get together at the moment? Will you kill me if I make Bumbleby a thing? Will you love me if I don't ship Jaune and Pyrrha? Let me know, because I really want to keep this as enjoyable as possible for the general audience it has drawn in so far.
> 
> Also today sucked, it can go to hell. Anyways enough of that, here's Chapter 13:

**Chapter 13: Smouldering Sunset**

Yang failed to suppress a quiet chuckle as she watched Ruby headbutt Blake's mattress. The amusement faded to minor concern when Blake let out a barely audible groan of pain as the hot coffee scalded her hand but that too quickly faded when Blake shrugged it off. Weiss was now bolt upright on the tail end of a groan. "I guess we find Jaune." she drawled mildly annoyed.

Yang's mind quickly reared back as she began thinking through scenario after scenario of what Jaune could be doing that he would want to hide from his teammates. Weiss ushered the rest of Team Juniper into the dorm and Yang decided that they needed a little more information. She cast a shy glance to Weiss who smiled back and stepped forward. "We need you to tell us what happened the last time any of you saw him."

Pyrrha began poking her fingers together before speaking up, her voice low and filled with concern and guilt. "Well, you may have noticed that Jaune's been a little… passive aggressive… around Ren." Ren's eyes widened in surprise and Nora and Blake couldn't suppress eye rolls. It had been pretty obvious. "Well, he was kind of irking me with his behaviour so, after Port's class, I asked if I could have a word in private with him."

Blake had already grown bored the second Jaune's name was mentioned, and Pyrrha's life story approach to things wasn't helping her with caring about the blonde idiot. "And?" she asked, hoping to get to the point.

"And…" Pyrrha trailed off, her mind musing over how to best word things. These were Jaune's personal issues after all. "And Jaune feels he needs to be leader in order to meet his father's expectations of him."

A short silence followed as everyone considered the information before Weiss sighed. "That doesn't help at all. What did YOU say to him?" The porcelain beauty punctuated her question with an arm fold, clearly also slightly flippant at the intrusion of the small amount of peace Team RWBY had found. Pyrrha shuffled slightly on her feet, the guilt evident in her body language increasing exponentially thanks to the simple question.

"Well?" asked Weiss, resisting the urge to tap her finger against her arm impatiently.

Pyrrha gulped before answering. "I… may have accidentally put the idea of proving that he was the best in his head and-and"

"Spit it out already!" demanded Blake whom lacked the level of patience of her partner. The small outburst worked however and Pyrrha's stuttering turned into a sentence, a very quick, barely understandable ramble to be precise.

"He may have said that he'd train day and night until it was indisputable that he was the best Beacon had to offer."

Pyrrha exhaled deeply, enjoying the feeling of air once again filling her lungs. Meanwhile Blake slumped slightly against the wall. "So you're saying you're teammate is a dullard who would risk his life, and his team's place in the academy, in some petty attempt to prove he was better than his friend?" Pyrrha nodded and Blake was stone-faced in her follow up. "Then I'm going to bed…" Blake began to move to the spot Weiss had been in before, genuinely content to acquaint herself with her pillow for the remnants of the night.

"Yeah, I can't exactly sympathise with him either…"

All eyes fell upon Nora. In their limited experience with one another, they had all observed Nora as friendly and altruistic. Those words just seemed wrong coming from her. Ren's reaction told the story. "How could you say something like that Nora? He's our teammate and a student of Beacon! If he's in danger then we can't just leave him out there!" Nora recoiled slightly, clearly stung by Ren's ire.

Seconds later a much softer, more worried voice pitched in: "Yeah. I'd hate myself if anything happened to him tonight that we could have prevented." It was Yang, and that got both Ruby and Blake's attention. Both brunettes glanced at Yang before sighing almost in unison.

"Then let's go." called Blake whilst getting back to her feet. She quickly grabbed Gambol Shroud and attached it across her back. Yang also stood, slight relief beginning to override her concern. She deployed Ember Celica and quickly took charge.

"You guys go straight to the forest; we'll quickly check the training grounds and join you if we don't find him." Ren quickly nodded and headed off, Pyrrha following close behind and Nora bringing up the rear. Yang turned to her own team and gestured with her arm for them to follow before also disappearing. Ruby was quick on her heels and Weiss sidled up next to Blake.

"How sweet, Blake cares about Yang!" she teased with a wry smirk.

Blake gave Weiss a sideways glance. "Never said I didn't, now hush you fiend…"

Weiss squinted her eyes, entirely unsure how to process her partner's retort and soft tone. "Was that a term of endearment?" Blake shrugged before heading off, tracing the footsteps of their teammates.

* * *

"Well that was pointless…" groaned Ruby as they left the training ground. Jaune was looking to better himself as a fighter, so it made some level of sense. Of course it didn't stop the less sympathetic half of Team RWBY from complaining about having wasted their time searching there.

"Come on Ruby, you should know better than that. We now know Jaune isn't there, if we hadn't visited then we wouldn't know that, and we wouldn't have justified Team Juniper's running off into the Emerald Forest." chided her older sister with a light and affectionate clip around the back of the head. Ruby groaned again but didn't argue back.

Accepting the result Weiss joined Yang at the front of the group. "So Yang, it seems you've got quite the influence over Blake." Yang was startled slightly by the random conversation sparking right by her ear and jumped. "You okay? You seem a little on edge."

Yang nodded her head slowly. "Yeah I'm fine, I'm just a little worried about Jaune is all." She emphasised her point by giving a thumbs up that Weiss had to chuckle at. Yang scowled at her and pouted attempting to emulate Ruby but Weiss merely shook her head in response.

"You need to relax a little. Jaune'll be fine, he's Jaune Arc after all. He may be annoying, desperate, stupid and reckless, but he's also an Arc, he can more than handle a few beowolves or a pair of ursi." Yang sighed and began to fidget with her golden mane.

"I guess you're right, but it's not a few beowolves or a pair of ursi I'm worried about…"

"Stop." called Blake earning the obedience and attention of her friends. Yang and Weiss looked back towards Blake questioningly whilst Ruby actually questioned the dark-themed girl. "Look over there:" Blake pointed in the general direction of a set of trees "Beowolf."

"I'll handle this."

Blake grabbed Weiss's shoulder, stopping the heiress in her tracks. "No you won't Weiss." the taller girl said calmly and flatly. Before Weiss could question her about it she saw Blake's gaze fall upon Ruby. "Aim for the head and don't miss…"

Ruby gulped whilst Weiss pulled away, a small flare of anger exploding from her body. "Blake, this is too far! Ruby already said she'd kill if and when the situation demanded it! You're expected too much of her, too soon!"

Blake's reply was immediate and final. "This is something I need to see Weiss. Something Ruby has to do for me to place faith in her as a teammate." And just like that Weiss's ember of frustration was extinguished. Defeated she shrunk back and gave Ruby a reassuring half-smile. Yang approached the redhead.

"You can do this Ruby, you know you can and Blake knows you can. No one's going to judge you for taking that creature's life, just like you won't judge that creature if it took someone else's. Just... don't think about it until it's over." Ruby nodded and Yang offered a too-tight hug attempt, something that cheered Weiss up.

When she pulled away Ruby stepped forward and pulled out her scythe, allowing the weapon to fully extend and using the blade to plant it into the ground. Everyone watched on intently as Ruby lined up the shot, crosshairs homing in between the eyes of the beast. A tense ten seconds passed without development, Blake scrutinising Ruby's shaking form whilst Weiss resisted the urge to embrace her younger sibling and Yang resisted the urge to kill the beowolf herself. Finally Ruby's trembling finger settled, and she closed her eyes.

Ruby felt the kick of the rifle as it slammed into her shoulder, her aura immediately activating to mitigate the damage and avoid bruising. She heard the loud ringing as the bullet propelled from the barrel and found its mark in the beowolf's skull. She didn't see the creature die, didn't see the flash of the muzzle and couldn't hear Blake's almost empty commendation. Weiss was by her side in an instant but Ruby merely shrugged her off.

"I'm fine Weiss, really."

Weiss sighed as Ruby stalked off in the direction of her kill, flexing her arm slightly as she walked. Yang was quick to reach Ruby's side whilst Blake sidled up next to her own partner. "She's not lying, she's gonna be just fine. I promise."

"I thought promises weren't your thing?

"I said I had a tough time believing in them, it's up to you if you want to trust me on this… Now come on we've got a problem child prodigy to find."

* * *

Nora growled, she actually growled. She didn't want to be here. Jaune had already proven that her first impression had been wrong and now his melodramatic, macho man nature had not only put her in danger, but more importantly it put Ren, Pyrrha and Team RWBY in danger. He didn't deserve this, if anything being clobbered around the head by an ursa would knock some much needed sense into him.

Pyrrha shouted again, hoping to get the missing blonde's attention, this was followed by Ren, again to no avail, and then finished off by Nora herself, though her attempt was half-hearted serving only to not draw the guilt-inducing looks from Ren or Pyrrha. She knew they were doing the right thing, but that didn't mean Jaune had earned this level of loyalty and care. Another round of shouts was met with no response, the next chorus was returned by a quartet of ursi.

Nora growled again, her narrowed eyes locking on the foursome before she pulled out Magnhild. A volley of grenades flew towards the four large Grimm, each exploding with a pink cloud of smoke. The beasts staggered and Nora dashed forward, Magnhild converting to warhammer form mid-sprint. She twirled as she neared the still recovering Grimm and slammed Magnhild into the face of one of them, sending the creature crashing through several trees.

Taking a step back she avoided a sloppy swipe and quickly ducked beneath a second ursa's lunge, Magnhild's head scraped along the ground beneath the airborne ursa and she pulled the trigger causing an explosion to rock the small area of ground and flip the ursa onto its back.

Ren watched on as Nora quickly paralysed the third ursa before needing to back away as another arrived. "Pyrrha stay here with Nora, hold the ursi off. I'm going to look for Jaune."

Pyrrha nodded and the two dashed towards the beasts. Ren leapt up before using the head of one of the Grimm as a platform to leap again. He brushed off several leaves as he landed in the trees before taking off at a sprint.

Six different treelines later and Ren finally found his target. For the pickle he was in he was performing admirably. A claw met a shield with a loud crash and a short screech, blade met bone with a pathetic scrape and the second claw met thin air as Jaune jumped to safety. He charged again and rolled to the left whilst a stinger embedded itself in the ground at Jaune's previous position.

On the recovery he spun outwards and swung his sword from right to left. The steel blade slashed across the rough hide, earning an agitated growl from the creature. Jaune back-stepped again to avoid the first pincer and ducked beneath the second before dragging Crocea Mors across the flesh that attached said pincer to the Grimm's body.

The deathstalker panicked as its opponent arrived at a blind spot just to the right of its mouth. It cried as a blade cut into one of its eyes and quickly began retreating. Jaune followed continuing his furious flurry of blood-drawing blows. In a last ditch effort the deathstalker slammed its stinger back into the ground before ripping it back out. A shower of debris forced the warrior to evade buying the titan enough time to back away and swing its tail, slamming into Jaune and sending the blonde careening across the meadow.

The Grimm stormed towards the fallen knight, intent on ripping him apart, that's when Ren sprang into action. He arrived to the right of the deathstalker and dashed across its vision causing minor disorientation whilst Stormflower collided with the vice-like claws. Jaune's vision cleared as he recovered and laid eyes upon the deathstalker, its attention on a familiar green-clad leader. "Dammit no!" he screamed before sprinting forward to meet the monster. "He's mine!"

The next minute passed with the Deathstalker easily battling the divided teammates, mostly because Jaune kept making reckless mistakes either getting in Ren's way, or placing himself in danger. Ren snapped as Jaune blocked another pincer. "You can't keep doing this Jaune! We're meant to be a team!" He scolded whilst jumping forward and pulsing his aura, easily knocking away the second pincer. "You aren't a lone wolf anymore Jaune, that won't cut it here! All you'll succeed in doing is placing me, Pyrrha, Yang and anyone else you supposedly care about in danger!"

The stinger came down and Jaune knocked Ren to safety. He was quick to recover and soon arrived in front of Jaune, Stormflower being swung out from his body and clanging into the spikes on either side of the titan's mouth. "You need to wake the hell up. Your father would be ashamed if he learned of this stunt!"

Jaune dashed forward and leapt up and over Ren, he thrust his sword out and it impaled another eye earning a guttural cry of agony and anguish from their enemy. "My father will be ashamed of me when he learns that YOU'RE the leader!" he spat viciously whilst ripping his sword from the deathstalker's eye.

"Then let him be; what kind of father values their son based purely on their accomplishments!?" Ren hopped backwards before catching one pincer thanks to his aura barrier and quickly threw it inward once Jaune was also at a safe distance. The deathstalker staggered slightly, taken by surprise at the young man's sudden burst of strength. "You're a good man Jaune, we've all seen that. Don't give your father the time of day; what changes without you as leader!?"

The deathstalker charged forwards yet again, and again pincer was met by aura and shield. "You can still graduate four years from now at the top of our class! You can still evolve into the soldier you WANT to be!" Feeling the pressure of the deathstalker bearing down upon him, Ren back-rolled to safety, a stinger quickly flew towards Jaune whom strafed to the side before running over to a kneeling Ren. "Don't let his approval consume you Jaune. You've got good friends all around you, people who want but don't need you to succeed for them to accept you. Don't push us away…"

The deathstalker came again, unrelenting in its attempts to vanquish the pair. Two missed swipes, an easily avoided tail whip and an unexpected, but still evaded lunge later and Jaune and Ren were again at a safe distance. "You know I can't do that Ren. My father's disappointment pales in comparison to the shame and shunning born of being the one Arc failure…" They tangled with the titan once more. "But you're right: I can at least be happy with what I have… You're a good friend Ren, and you'll be an even better leader…"

The deathstalker's screech turned into an even angrier one as several explosions rocked out around it. Ren and Jaune laid sights upon the source: Yang, Nora and Weiss each with their weapons deployed and their gazes set upon the titan below them. Pyrrha stepped forward. "Look I'm glad to see you two identifying with one another, but could you PLEASE save the romance for a better time, maybe one where a deathstalker ISN'T trying to eat your faces!" Ren and Jaune both shared a look of slight unease and moderate amusement, once again Pyrrha's voice cut through the air. "GET THE HELL UP HERE ALREADY!"

The two obeyed and, with a lot of covering fire from their friends, they quickly found themselves on elevated ground. The deathstalker shrieked indignantly from below and stalked around for a while, seeking a way up to its prey that wouldn't prove suicidal. "Weiss freeze it." Yang commanded.

"No." challenged Blake, yet again. She cast a glance to Ruby who actually looked ready, albeit reluctant, to fight their old friend. "Let's get back to Beacon. We got Jaune, now let's just leave. I hear my bed calling to me." Ruby appeared immediately relieved much to Blake's lack of surprise. Weiss seemed pleasantly shocked by Blake's action, and equally as happy about it. "Come on. Let's go home."

* * *

Blake and Weiss collapsed onto their beds with satisfied mews as they cuddled into the sheets. Both were exhausted, and both had wanted sleep even before Pyrrha's intrusion on their blissful five minutes. Now that they were back, nothing was going to tear them away from their beds again. Unlike the black and white-themed pairing, the other two members of Team RWBY were far less eager… or at least they were patient enough to change into their nightclothes. Yang disappeared off into the bathroom to get dressed whilst Ruby simply changed there and then.

Yang exited the bathroom in head-turning gear. Like her combat gear, her sleepwear also left little to imagination and Blake peered over with a grin. "So much for decency." she teased earning a blush from the blonde whom quickly descended up the ladder to the bunk just above Blake.

"Sh-shut up; it's my semblance, doesn't allow for cool nights."

"Sure it is sweetheart…" Blake teased again before rolling over; content with what was likely a very red-faced Yang. "Well, time to-oh wait I almost forgot!" In the blink of an eye, Blake's presence on the bottom bunk was replaced with her shadow clone. The actual girl was rummaging in Weiss's bag before ascending the ladder to Yang whom was covering her flushed face. "I stopped by the bookstore and got you this." She held out the bag as Yang raised her elbow, peeking shyly between her forearm and bicep. "As congratulations for you becoming team leader. Weiss picked it out."

Taking the bag Yang opened it up and pulled out the thick tome. She read the title. "Le Desir De Vivre" her face soon lit up and she hugged the white book. "Oh thank you, how did you know?"

"I didn't. Like I said, Weiss picked it out; she spotted one of his other works when your suitcase fell open. Apparently they're rare-"

"Almost unheard of." corrected Yang.

Blake paused as a sign she wasn't ignoring the blonde even though she could care less about book rarity. "Right, anyways like I said, I just wanted to get you something, as a token of… camaraderie." Blake smiled as a small swell of joy surfaced in her stomach at seeing how happy Yang was. She imagined she wore the same grin now as she did when she received that massive book of poetry she was reading in the ballroom two nights ago. "I hope you like it."

"I do, thank you."

"How very thoughtful, Blake." Weiss muttered, muffled by her pillow.

"You didn't get me anything." Ruby whispered without offense, just loud enough to be heard.

Blake retreated down the ladder and settled back on her bed. "Try harder then, Ruby." she said softly whilst nestling under her covers. Ruby pouted from her place on the top bunk and Blake smiled back whilst shuffling beneath the covers. Coattails, ribbons, boots and stockings landed on the floor and Blake rolled over, immediately getting comfy "Night girls."

Weiss grumbled something along the lines of "stop talking already" before kicking off her own heels. Ruby had already flipped onto her stomach with a sweet yawn announcing her exhaustion whilst Yang sat up in her bed. She wasn't tired, rarely ever was, and she just received the perfect way to spend the next few hours. She sighed contentedly, in spite of today's madness and conflict, the last five minutes had been perfect.


	14. RWBY Tuesdays - Familial Bonds

The second official day under the Team RWBY banner went better than the first.

Blake did not wake screaming from a nightmare, well she did but it happened at 3:24am but only she awoke as a result and a shower had relaxed her enough to allow her to drift off again. Ruby did not need to watch the slaughter of a creature of Grimm for sport, she would tomorrow though. Weiss did not end up spending another day trying to play peacemaker between her sister and her partner, admittedly there was still time. And Yang did not have to traipse through the Emerald Forest; they hadn't actually seen Jaune today though so that was also a possibility. They indulged themselves and got ice cream on the way back to their dorm where they collapsed in exhaustion, their brains fried from four continuous hours of written work.

Everyone except Yang that was, who suddenly got very nervous upon hearing her teammates voice their desires to relax and watch TV. Blake pointed out to Weiss that they didn't have a TV, Ruby giggled and Weiss swore she would buy one at some point. That was when Weiss noticed Yang's fidgeting.

"Everything alright?" she asked softly, a hint of concern in her voice as she eyed up the least confident member of Team RWBY.

Yang took to being fascinated by the floor, entirely ignoring Weiss's question. The heiress narrowed her eyes while Blake hopped off of her bed and used her index finger to nudge Yang's head up, her gaze meeting Weiss's for a moment before it immediately taking to the ceiling instead. Blake failed to suppress a chuckle at the cute display of shyness. She stepped forward, her voice lowering.

"Don't be afraid to speak your mind around us. Whatever it is I'm sure we can help…" Yang looked down again, her sights settling on the petite heiress.

"Well, umm…" the blonde began uncertainly. "I was actually wondering if we could maybe take today to... look through one another's profiles." Yang straightened herself up and cleared her throat, seemingly more confident now that she'd got the bulk of her idea out-of-the-way. "I figured it'd be a good way to get to know one another's strengths and weaknesses." Several seconds passed and Ruby could swear she heard a bird tweet. The uneasiness returned to Yang whom shuffled slightly on the spot. "Well?" she asked hesitantly.

Another tense moment passed before Weiss finally raised a single eyebrow. "What is it?" Yang asked hesitantly, worry seeping into her voice.

Weiss's reply was immediate, and doubled Yang's confusion. "That's it?" she questioned in return.

"Umm… yes?"

Blake answered Yang's self-questioning by hitting her chest gently, pushing Yang back a step. "You idiot, you had us worried it was something about you!" she reprimanded with a small undertone of affection that Weiss immediately picked up on.

Yang's face reddened as it quickly dawned on her how silly the rest of her team thought she was being. She cast a glance to Ruby who was smug, having already known of Yang's plan to create "RWBY Tuesdays" since yesterday. "I'm going to kill you" she mouthed to the grin-baring fifteen year old. The scythe-wielder giggled back earning a chiding look from Weiss pressuring her to apologise.

"Sorry Yang, I shouldn't have convinced you that Weiss and Blake would hate RWBY Tuesdays." the redhead apologised, earning a smile from Weiss and absolute ignorance from Blake whom was still quietly seething at Yang for having worried her. Again Weiss took note of it before turning to Yang, Ruby's words finally having registered.

"Wait, RWBY Tuesdays?" Yang nodded shyly "As in more than one?" Another timid nod came from her leader. "Curse you Xiao Long!" Yang didn't recoil at Weiss's words; the tone of her voice was warm and light-hearted after all. "Seriously though Yang, you need to voice your ideas, concerns and anything else that may come up. We're your teammates, more importantly we're your friends. Don't be afraid to just say what's on your mind." A brief pause followed as Weiss glanced at Blake. "This is a good idea by the way."

"So when do we start?" Yang asked. The question was left unanswered as Ruby spoke up.

"More importantly: Who do we start with?"

* * *

Forty minutes later Weiss was sighing. Blake's file hadn't been anywhere near as insightful as she had hoped. It went a long way into explaining why she was as good as she was: she graduated top of her class at Pharos Academy. Located in Vacuo, Pharos was essentially the Beacon Academy of that level of education. However it did nothing to explain Blake's nightmare, her absence of trust or her attempted stoicism. According to Pharos, Blake was a relatively normal girl in all things but her work, in which she was a born huntress.

Weiss couldn't exactly complain however. Her own profile was up next and, if it was anything like Ruby's, and she assumed it would be, then it would be as useless to Blake and Yang as Blake's was to the rest of them. Sure enough she saw Blake roll her eyes. Weiss's father went out of his way to protect Schnee information and all the public profile showed was that Ruby and Weiss had each passed a trial by combat. That was literally it. There wasn't even an academic report despite being home schooled.

"Dammit… another dead-end." murmured Yang under her breath, Weiss's expression was apologetic as she looked towards the blonde. She gave a lopsided smile and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sorry Yang, I guess father didn't want to risk anyone getting their hands on the information. Ruby did end up fighting a prototype security mech after all. And the less they know about just how dangerous the area around White Castle is the better. I promise I'll tell you about my trial by combat later. For now-" Weiss cut herself off with a yawn. "I'm never usually this tired, this early; the last two days must have really beaten the hell out of me."

"How eloquently put…"

Weiss ignored Blake's left field jab and continued addressing Yang. "Can we finish with the profiles quickly? We still have that assignment due for tomorrow and the moon's already in the sky."

Yang nodded and the three other girls each drew up the information on the socially bashful brawler. An access gateway popped up and Yang gave them the password, a simple four digit combination more for the sake of privacy than security. She tensed as the girls read, Weiss's eyes flickering across her screen quicker than the others'. Finally the alabaster girl reached the first interesting piece of information of the entire night, her eyes widening. "Wait, you have no academic history?" Yang gave a reticent nod. "Then how did you, you know…"

Blake and Ruby were already skimming to the part about Yang's education, or lack thereof. Taking no notice of the other two, Yang addressed Weiss. "Umm… yeah, I never went to school, couldn't afford it. My uncle was a teacher and he'd sort of home school me..."

"And why wouldn't you attend that school then?"

"Because it, like all other huntress schools, was too expensive; his teaching job doesn't pay a lot, and he quit his job as a huntsman to take care of me when… when…" Yang breathing hitched and she shivered, tears began welling in her eyes and Ruby was quick to Yang's side, a shower of rose petals littering the redhead's top bunk as she joined Yang on the floor.

Ruby hugged her tight and the blonde quickly dried her eyes on her partner's combat skirt before taking another second to recompose herself. Weiss and Blake were looking at her with a mixture of worry, curiosity and expectation. She quickly pushed on. "A-anyways, as I was saying. My Uncle Qrow took me in, quit his job as a huntsman and took to teaching at Signal, it was just enough to put food on the table and pay the bills and just little enough that he could be a near full-time father figure. Everything I know I learned from him."

"You're a quick study." Blake off-handedly complimented. She'd seen Yang's work back in the ballroom and it was top quality, far above what you'd expect from a girl with no official academic background.

"Hold up a sec: Qrow from Signal Academy?" questioned Ruby, her own nature surrendering to a more shy and unnerved demeanour. It was closer to the more on-edge version of Ruby that Yang had witnessed whenever Ruby did something wrong, like when they recently met and she accidentally ruined most of Weiss's soon-to-be-restocked dust supply.

"How do you know this guy, sis?"

Yang laughed nervously, clearly unaccustomed to being praised for her achievements. She began fiddling with her hair. "It's nothing, really." She followed up the response by throwing her hair back over her shoulder. "Oh and uh: yeah Qrow; scythe-wielder, well-respected hunter, probably taught Ruby everything she knows."

"Huh… Well give him my thanks when you next see him. Ruby never would tell us who was training her, but it's reassuring to know that it was someone as supposedly good and trustworthy as your uncle."

Blake chose now to intersect, making sure to get everyone back on. "Back on topic..." She folded her arms, leaning against what constituted as a bed post. "You said you couldn't afford an education, so how did you end up in Beacon Academy?"

"I'm assuming she passed a trial by combat like Ruby and I."

"Not quite." Yang corrected before scratching her ear and glancing momentarily at the floor. "I mean it's true I didn't get accepted based on academic merits but uh… Wait, actually: You two know who Roman Torchwick is, don't you?" She enquired nervously, directing the question at the Schnee sisters. "Qrow told me he was one of your lead, err, distributors? I believe?"

Vicarious recognition appeared to shine in Weiss's eyes at the mere mention of Mr. Torchwick's name. She stepped forward, amusement and curiosity etched on her face. "You were the teenager that helped Roman fend of that Faunus gang at "From Dust 'til Dawn"?" Yang sucked in both her lips before smacking them and nodding her head. "Damn. I heard those goons got messed up pretty bad. You were clearly impressive if Ozpin took notice." Weiss cocked her head contemplatively. "You know I always thought Roman was a bit of an oddball…"

Ruby agreed immediately, bolting on the end that father never did fully trust him enjoy being around him. Yang couldn't help but suppress a laugh leaving Blake completely in the dark. She figured that, if all three jumped to the same conclusion, then Roman likely was a shady fellow. "I suppose it was a little intimidating when he first approached me in the shop and asked me to leave. But he seemed to genuinely care when he spooked me enough that I readied Ember Celica."

"More than likely his instincts of self-preservation kicked in. Honestly he'd sell his shares in the SDC to the Black Tooth if he believed he was safer that way."

"RUBY ROSE!" Weiss shouted, scalding the younger redhead whom appeared to shrink slightly. "The Black Tooth is a changed organisation! They realise their mistakes and have begun atoning for their sins. They are a beacon of good as far as humanity is concerned and deserve a second chance!"

Blake stepped in again, she found herself taking a strange interest in Yang's life. She wanted to hear more and she'd heard enough discrimination and hate directed towards humans and the Black Tooth to last her several lifetimes. Still, she couldn't let the conversation die without inputting her own thoughts. "I don't know Weiss. I wouldn't trust the Black Tooth either. They earned more respect back when they were a group of freedom fighters-"

"Terrorists" Ruby offered earning a glare from Blake.

"Freedom fighters." The taller woman repeated through gritted teeth. "Then they ever have since embracing more peaceful methods. The Black Tooth went from being revered as the voice of humanity and feared by Faunus to being the laughing-stock of the underworld. They KNEELED at the feet of the Faunus and, right now, they have nothing but the fact that they have proven that the Faunus don't care about human equality to show for it."

Weiss was now narrow-eyed, studiously scrutinising her partner. "What are you saying Blake?" She asked, not entirely sure if she sounded curious, accusatory or completely apathetic.

Blake's voice was even, the snake Faunus unfazed by Weiss's tone. "I'm just saying that being peaceful hasn't exactly worked out too well for them. Cardin is still being bullied by Garnet and his crew, children are still starving because their parents' are being refused jobs, and more than a few contracts have went unanswered in the last year, resulting in several deaths, simply because the contractor refused to hire a human hunter." Weiss jaw hung slack.

"Doesn't it make sense that, after half a decade of failed diplomacy, the Black Tooth may conclude that what they had done all along was the only thing that worked?" Silence followed. Ruby gave Blake a knowing, agreeing and appreciative nod that Blake despised. "So anyways" Blake segued, cutting the silence and the tension "Tell us more about your path to Beacon, Yang."

"Well umm, there's not much else to tell I'm afraid. My uncle trained me, I helped Roman clean up some pesky thieves and that got me an offer here, which I accepted because I admired Qrow and he always told me to become the best person I could be in this world and I don't know of a higher calling."

"Yang?"

"Yes Blake?"

"You're rambling."

Yang blushed. "Oh..." she said softly earning an encouraging smile and a nod to continue. "Roman paid my first year off and now Qrow, no longer feeling obligated to stay home, has come out of retirement. Thanks to him I'll have the money for the second, third and fourth years too."

As heart-warming as the story was-the notion that an uncle would sacrifice his dream to care for his niece and then turn that dream into a chore so that said niece could seek her own happiness-Blake couldn't help but frown. An odd feeling broke her stoic demeanour, one she rarely ever let seep through: sorrow. Weiss's gaze, whatever it held before, now only contained concern and the beginnings of sympathy and pity.

"Don't give me that look Weiss. I'm fine, really." Weiss raised an eyebrow, she didn't mean to push the situation but Blake snapped at her nonetheless. "Look, my parents died long ago and their money's the reason I can afford this. Happy?"

Weiss frowned. "No... I'm not. My father may have kicked my mother out of the house when he found out that she was pregnant with Ruby." The girl in question visibly flinched and Yang kept a protective eye trained on her. "But I still have someone Blake, a family that loves me and a sister that would die for me yet never let me die for her... You don't talk about your past, your family or anything for that matter. I can't imagine what your history must have been like to make you lock it away and place as much distance between us and you as you have done and-"

"And you promised you wouldn't pry."

"I have everything intention of keeping that promise Blake. But just because I'm waiting until you're ready to tell me, doesn't mean that I'm going to stop wanting to know. I didn't mean to push you…" Weiss took a step forward placing a comforting hand on Blake's shoulder.

Blake's initial reaction was to pull away but Weiss wouldn't let her and she felt practised fingers dig into her shoulder, finding all the right spots to relax her. "I've said this before but you're not alone anymore. We're here to listen and to help. Whenever you're ready that is." She flashed a dazzling smile, a simple flexing of her right jaw, pulling the right corner of her mouth upwards, but dazzling nonetheless.

Blake closed her eyes and rolled her shoulder, succumbing to her partner's administrations. "Why learn how to massage, Weiss?"

A simple shrug was her first answer, the short answer. Weiss still gave her the long one. Always so trusting, so forward; Blake truly couldn't begin to fathom where that faith came from. "Ruby and I tended to get pretty worked up and stressed over the constant attacks on the Schnee Dust Company. We heard it was an effective way to relieve stress."

The two sisters shared a smile, nothing short of absolute adoration shared between them. "It was just one of many ways two sisters bonded and eventually it got to the point where we were both competent at it. Ever the perfectionist I decided to take it a step further and actually take classes."

Blake bit her lip. Weiss caught her contemplative stare and decided to call her on it, not expecting the answer she received. "Maybe they were wrong about your father…"

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing, just a few less-than-adulatory whispers about the SDC that I can't help but question right about now; Mr. Schnee sounds like a kind man after all."

At this point Ruby stepped in. "He was a monster until I turned ten." Lilac and amber eyes were now upon her. Weiss had also half-turned her head to show that she was listening. "Sure I probably owe my life to him, or at the very least the life I have right now, for taking me in at age two." Blake made a mental note of that, stowing it away for a better time and place to press for answers.

"He was merciless. If he hadn't been then Black Tooth and organisations like Echidna Corp would've broken him down long ago and we may not have been here." Ruby sounded grateful there, elated even that her adoptive father was willing to go that far to defend the Schnee family. "When the attacks began dwindling he softened, letting what I'm assuming was the man my mother fell in love with surface once more. He's been a doting father for over five years now, when he's there at least."

When Yang had recommended looking over one another's profiles she hadn't been expecting these kinds of developments. None of them were. Weiss spoke up.

"Whilst I wouldn't call our lives easy, mine, at least since the Black Tooth's regime change, has certainly been easier than all of yours." Weiss glanced between Blake and Yang, taking the pause to organise her thoughts. "I won't pretend to understand what you guys went through, but I'll be there if you ever want to share. And you"

Weiss spun on the spot, her gazing meeting Ruby's. "No matter what happens, regardless of what you do and irrespective of what you think, you will always have me by your side." Weiss began taking strides, quickly closing the distance between herself and the youthful redhead. "You've devoted your life to ensuring that I'm never alone." She was now inches away from her sister, she cupped her cheeks before continuing. "Just remember that that also means your big sister's always there for you too, okay?"

Ruby nodded and Weiss kissed both wolf ears and the top of her head just between them before pulling away.

After a pleasant silence, Blake decided to speak up, asking the question undoubtedly on everybody's mind after the last ten minutes. "How the bloody hell did that happen?"


	15. Crocea Furia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I've been asking people on FF.net what kind of ships they'd be up for seeing. So far the most popular appear to be JaunexYang, WeissxBlake and PyrrhaxRuby with the usual NoraxRen thrown in there. Of course everything is up in the air until I canonise it. If you guys want to see, or don't want to a ship (or any shipping at all) then feel free to leave a comment. I am fully prepared to leave ships up to the community provided I believe they could be implemented and that I'd enjoy writing them.

Sweat drenching the side of his face, breathing heavily from seemingly endless skirmishing and pulse thumping at a million beats per minute. This was Cardin Winchester, but only when he was in confrontation with the great Jaune Arc. He hated this. Not because he was standing opposite one of his closest friends. Not because he knew Jaune could beat him. Not because he found himself desiring to test his mettle against Nora or Weiss instead. But because of the voices; the ghouls in the crowd calling out to him-jeering his every move and hoping deep down that something goes wrong that removes him from the school for good.

"Ha-ha, did you see that? The sluggish oaf can barely move quick enough to defend!"

"Oh he's getting angry! He grunted! Be careful Jaune he might cry at you!"

"Hah! Yeah, either that or he'll run off and join the Black Tooth!"

He couldn't bear it, he didn't know why but the voices got to him. Maybe it was because of how cowardly the individuals whom the shouts belonged to were. They had all either actually lost to Cardin in past duels or flat refused to enter the arena with him unless forced to, and, unless Cardin was losing, they kept their comments to themselves. However Cardin was against Jaune, the first opponent he faced that had him anywhere close to defeat. He caught sight of Blake out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but noticed how exasperated she looked, an expression shared by the rest of Team Juniper and Team Ruby, even Ruby Rose.

Letting the rage consume him, Cardin dashed forward again taking the fight to his friend. A harsh mace swing, sloppily aimed, crashed haplessly against a sturdy shield. Crocea Mors came down, steel attempting to bite into more steel and succeeded in knocking away Cardin's weapon and the mammoth of a man staggered. Jaune followed up with a horizontal slash that Cardin barely managed to back step out the way of, resulting in the larger man suffering a nick to the chest piece of his armour.

Quick as a flash Jaune followed up with a knee to the jaw. His friend slammed into the ground and Jaune readied up for another round as Cardin struggled to one knee, blood seeping from his mouth where a wound had already closed up. "Don't do this Cardin! Don't let them get inside your head! I know you Cardin, I've sparred with you before, you're better than this!"

Cardin looked up from his kneeling position at his friend. The blonde was slumping ever-so-slightly, likely as a sign of concern and a lack of focus. His face however remained in stone. The clenched jaw showing frustration, the perked wolverine ears a sign of his alertness, the intense fire in his eyes that was always there though this time Cardin couldn't discern if it was a result of him being in battle, or a result of infuriation at his fellow students. The voices came again.

"Aha, get a load of this guy. Hey Jaune don't encourage him!"

"Hmm, it's a rather fitting scene if you ask me, a human… on his knees."

Cardin wiped droplets of blood from his mouth and chin as Glynda went to reprimand Garnet and Radley. She was deftly cut off by the sound of Cardin charging forward. From the side lines Pyrrha and Nora couldn't help sighing sympathetically whilst Blake shook her head. Yang meanwhile stayed focussed, her eyes glued to Jaune's own, the intense fire had ignited into a wrathful inferno.

He dashed forward; Cardin's poorly swung attack crashing against the arena floor as Jaune ducked beneath it. Jaune spun once and used the momentum to slam his shield into Cardin's back causing the redhead to stagger forwards. By the time he recovered Jaune was already upon him, a well-placed and forceful boot to the mid-section knocking him backwards. Within moments Jaune was pressing the attack, shield and sword alike attempting to strike against Cardin.

Cardin found himself being overwhelmed by his friend. His mace rose defensively to block the blade and Blake, Yang, Ren and Pyrrha all made note of the opening Cardin had to counterattack… an opening Cardin didn't take. Jaune recovered and threw himself back at Cardin, another flurry of blows clattering against Cardin's armour and weapon resulting in a dull throb in the latter's shoulders.

A primal scream tore from Jaune.s throat out of frustration and his sword blocked a badly timed counterattack before his shield slammed down hard against Cardin's hand with enough force to crack bone had he been a lesser man. The mace clanged against the floor and Cardin found himself cowering, actually cowering. At the same time the jeers kept coming and it fuelled his anger, his docile nature always managed to surrender whenever he was in the arena and losing.

His footwork was poor and his timing even worse. Before long he had to leave his feet, Jaune swiping Crocea Mors beneath the larger male. Jaune predicted it and immediately inverted his course reaching a vertical base and, with armour denting force, slammed his pommel against his opponent's sternum forcing Cardin to crash into the crowd. The usual time to recuperate wasn't granted however and Cardin soon felt cold metal kissing his throat. Jaune had won.

"Yeah, now you're getting it Jaune!"

Cardin could've sworn he saw Jaune's grip tighten on Crocea Mors.

"Absolutely pathetic…"

That was definitely a clenching jaw and an eye twitch.

"I think I heard him whimper."

A tremble now, inadvertently nicking Cardin's skin with the sharpened steel, from his left he heard Glynda remind Jaune that the match was his.

"Proving once again that humans don't deserve to be here…"

That did it. Jaune growled before pivoting on the spot, steel sweeping across Cardin's vision as it left his neck.

"No, you know what? Cardin isn't weak or pathetic or scared. Cardin Winchester is a warrior, a proud fighter that wants to dedicate his life to protecting each and every one of your friends and family! He is not an animal, he is not a lesser being, and he is not inferior. He is a goddamn person! A person that deserves to be here a hell of a lot more than half of you worthless excuses parading around as wannabe guardians! All you guys are are breeders of violence and decay. Cardin doesn't ask for respect or honour, he asks for indifference. Is it really that difficult for you to hold your tongues?"

Silence followed and Cardin opened his mouth to speak but Jaune took action first. A brief mechanical sound rang through the hall as his shield retracted into a scabbard and Jaune sheathed his weapon before storming out, Pyrrha's eyes following him. Blake remained transfixed on Cardin, disappointment in her eyes for reasons fathomless to Cardin. Yang and Weiss gave him uneasy, apologetic smiles and then Garnet shattered the silence by bursting out into a fit of laughter.

Glynda cut in, bringing Garnet's guffawing to an end right as his friends were about to join in. He couldn't suppress a gulp at seeing the less-than-pleased demeanour of his teacher. "Garnet Taumerald you and your friends please stay behind." Glynda turned to better address the rest of the student body. "Class dismissed."

* * *

Combat Theory's end meant the start of lunch, a welcome time of day for most who immediately took to gossiping about RUST, Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester. Team RWBY and Nora, Pyrrha and Ren all took a seat at their usual table and kept an eye trained on Jaune whom was still in the queue, Yang joined them momentarily forgetting her chicken caesar salad until Blake pointed it out. Ruby and Weiss were chatting between themselves, each enjoying a turkey sandwich.

"You do this every year Ruby, for the thousandth time you don't need to." Weiss repeated for what may have actually been the thousandth time; honestly she'd stopped counting six years ago.

"But Weeeeeiiiiiiss!" Ruby moaned petulantly in response. "It's not about need, it's about celebrating! What's the big deal? You let me clean Myrtenaster last year!"

Weiss smiled and laughed under her breath, her sister was criminally cute, especially this week of the year or when it was Weiss' birthday. "But it's not just cleaning Myrtenaster is it? There's the arranging of foam in my hot chocolate to look like my symbol, there's leaving me a chocolate éclair in the fridge that was quite clearly bakery bought, there's the refilled dust cartridges, the fluffing of my pillows on a night-time, the willingness to cuddle with me on a night if I can't sleep-"

"Actually that last one's for me…" Ruby crudely interjected with an adorable smile on her face.

"I know, but I never said I didn't enjoy it." Weiss took another bite out of her rather simple sandwich and swallowed, taking a second to enjoy the pleasant taste before gulping some water and returning to her conversation. "All these things Ruby, these tiny, insignificant things, they're all very sweet and adorable and I love you for them all, but it really doesn't need to happen. I get that tomorrow is special to you and-"

Ruby pressed her fingers gently against her sister's lips silencing the older girl. "And tomorrow's going to be the best anniversary yet!" Ruby gave a Cheshire grin which developed into a small innocent giggle before tucking into her sandwich. Weiss just gave a contented sigh while basking in the glow of her sister's generosity and kindness.

* * *

Jaune hated the looks. Glares of hatred, gazes of pity, stares of wonderment, glances of confusion; it all sickened him. Why anyone felt the need to judge him for taking a stand for Humans, why it shocked anyone that a Faunus would stand up for a Human and, even worse, why people would question the turn of events, it all just further irked him. He let out a sigh as he got to the front of the queue ready to pay.

The cashier glanced at the food, salmon and a small portion of fries with a protein bar and bottle of water, before settling her gaze on a clearly stressed Jaune "Rough day?"

Jaune's reply only consisted of "You could say that…" and the exhausted tone killed the conversation. He paid for the food and water and began making his way over to his team. Cardin happened to enter the cafeteria right as Jaune passed the entrance and he stole Jaune's attention for a moment. Jaune merely waited expectantly, tray in hand and food growing slowly colder,

Finger nails scraped against Cardin's arm as he scratched his bicep nervously before speaking. "I… just wanted to say thanks." Jaune frowned and went to reject his thanks but was cut off, Cardin wanting to avoid conclusion jumping. "And not for what you said back in Combat Theory. I enjoyed our contest; it was a close and competitive match."

Jaune gritted his teeth; this was no more worthy of gratitude than his defense of Cardin. "No Cardin. It wasn't." Cardin blinked twice, caught by surprise by Jaune's anger. "I counted at least four openings that not only should you have noticed, but that you would have exploited if you were actually focussing." Jaune cast a glance over to his team whom were looking on curiously, except Nora whom appeared entirely disinterested. "You want to be a hunter, Cardin. If you're serious about that goal then you better realise that the crowd may always hate you, and even if you win them over there will always be people who want to bring you down verbally. You can't let them get to you Cardin." The boy in question went to argue back but Jaune wouldn't be interrupted so easily. "What do you think would've happened today if we weren't sparring? If there was someone ready to maim and kill you in place of me?"

He parted after those words, leaving Cardin to lower his head and sigh. Russel appeared next to him and gave him a friendly shoulder nudge. Jaune paid no attention to the words spoken between the two as he made his way to his table, taking a seat beside Pyrrha which was unfortunately opposite Blake, the snake Faunus only glaring at him with an icy demeanour whenever he met her gaze.

"Soooo, Jaune." Began Ren awkwardly slicing the tension as Ruby, Blake and Nora all silently cold shouldered Jaune and Weiss and Yang busied themselves with eating. "How are you feeling? You know after… that… thing, you know the thing with the shouting."

It wasn't the most tactful approach, and Ren knew that he could've, and should've been able to, articulate his own thoughts better, but he was a little on edge. He'd known Jaune for a few weeks now and he'd not actually seen Jaune ever do what he did today. He always knew he was a strong supporter of humans and equality but the rage-tinted speech was entirely unexpected. The attempt to initiate conversation worked though, earning an exhale from Jaune, the blonde raking his hand through his blonde crop of hair.

"I just. I'm sick of it Ren. I'm sick of seeing people like Cardin, despite being among the higher echelon of fighters with ourselves and Team RWBY-"

"We are here you know…" Weiss pointed out heartily with a false huff. She was, as expected, ignored.

"Being attacked verbally by cowards too scared to actually face off against the very man they abhor as lesser than them and unworthy of being at Beacon." There was a brief abate in Jaune's newest rant as he grabbed a few fries and popped them in his mouth, enjoying the salted chips and swallowing before speaking again. "I know I probably should've kept a leveller head but I… I don't know, I had to get it off my chest. Hopefully at least some of them think twice about their actions…"

"Unlikely." Came a response from directly opposite him. His questioning gaze fell onto Blake curiously inspecting her form. She had no food, her fingers entwined together as she contented herself with observing and judging everyone, her face showed little sign of emotion save for scrunched eyebrows portraying irritation. "Do you really think that you standing up for Cardin is going to change anything? All it succeeds in doing is giving Garnet yet more ways to bully your friend."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" asked Jaune, as he ate a few more fries. Blake rolled her eyes.

"It means that, if Cardin wants the discrimination and hate to stop, then _he's_ going to have to be the one to put a stop to it. Not you. Not Team Cardinal. Not Weiss. Only he and he alone can shut Garnet up..." Blake paid no mind to Weiss and Ruby's cautious eying of her. "Now stop babysitting him before you make everything worse."

"I-"

Jaune's retort died, everyone's attention caught by an exasperated groan from Cardin. "Look Velvet, why can't you just leave me alone? I'm not bothering anyone; I just want to enjoy my lunch in peace." Despite the clear frustration Cardin spoke with an even, reasoning tone and, for all intents and purposes appeared relaxed, if slightly exhausted. Bouncing with feigned enthusiasm next to him was a rabbit Faunus, Velvet Scarlatina.

"Aww…" She mocked disappointment and pouted. "But I only wanted a friendly chat with the current talk of the school!" Velvet's voice was whiny, and grating on Pyrrha, Ruby, Jaune and Weiss. "I mean come on, someone has to give credit where credit's due: You did a fantastic job of convincing a Faunus to like you enough to protect you." She grinned and leaned in closer. "Well done."

Cardin put his fork back into his bowlful of pasta and pushed his chair out slightly and was immediately aware of four gazes burning into his skin. "I really have no problem with you. How about this? You go join back up with your team, and I'll stay here with mine and we can just… ignore one another, how about that?

"Ignore each other?" Velvet raised an eyebrow and the right corner of mouth twitched upwards for an eye blink. "But that's no fun. I'm sure you'd miss me, and I'd be heartbroken if I had to ignore _another_ one of Jaune's tantrums." Across the room Jaune's nails dug into the table, Pyrrha immediately setting about calming him. Yang, Weiss and Nora all offered their unspoken sympathies to Cardin. Ruby watched on intently, her gaze locked on the rabbit Faunus' voluptuous figure. "Speaking of which: where is your guard dog?"

Cardin stood up, the rest of his team joining him in the act. There was no malicious intent behind it. There was, however, malicious intent in the rising of Garnet's crew. Not a single soul rose up to support Cardinal, though it was obvious that more than a few would jump at the chance to side with Team RUST. The perks of being a rich kid... Jaune growled but got a warning glare from Blake, a calm squeezing on his shoulder from Pyrrha and a select few soothing words from Weiss. It wasn't enough and, the second he saw Cardinal retreat to more jeering from the hyena Faunus quartet he decided to make a move.

The screech of wood against tile reverberated through the room and Velvet cast a glance behind her to see Jaune stalking over, face set in the same stone it had been back in Combat Theory. As he neared, Blake merely sighed in yet more disappointment and Nora immediately lost interest, or perhaps feigned disinterest.

"So, you're Velvet?"

The rabbit Faunus remained expressionless as she gauged the blonde, after a short while she tilted her head, soften her expression and folded her arms. "And you're Jaune. Now are we done playing Sherlock Holmes?" She smirked, a mocking sign that aggravated Jaune further, much to the fun-loving girl's delight.

"We aren't playing Sherlock Holmes!" Jaune started. Velvet appeared to already be armed with another remark and Jaune continued, not willing to let her retort. "We aren't playing any game. There is nothing between us."

Velvet giggled, it was sweet, innocent and adorable, soothing the Arc prodigy instantly. _Bad choice of phrasing there, Jaune Boy_ she mused before retorting. "Oh there is definitely something between us Jaune." She stressed the 'definitely'. "Can you not feel it? I think it might be love!"

There was an irritated groan rumbling in Jaune's throat, expletives and rage both clawing up, demanding that Jaune voice them. Velvet noticed this and simply smirked, mirthful arrogance replacing the façade of sweet innocence. Seeing this, Jaune snapped. "Just stay away from my friends, Velvet! Cardin doesn't need you pestering him alongside those four idiots." He nodded his head towards the four still standing hyena Faunus. "And it's not like you gain anything from helping make his life a misery. Just. Just stop bothering people who have done nothing to provoke you."

"Very well."

The two simple words stopped Jaune. He looked on in slight disbelief, words stolen from his mouth rendering him silent. "Wait what?" he finally questioned, dumbfounded at Velvet's sudden submission. The girl bounced forward playfully.

"I said 'very well'. I won't bother Team Cardinal. I'll find ways to have fun that do not require the irking of people who don't deserve it." She grinned devilishly and traced her hand up Jaune's arm. "Maybe you can help me come with a few ways to… have fun…" He jerked his arm away and the suggestive rabbit Faunus winked. When he turned to walk away she was on his heels. "Aww, don't be like that. What's a little mindless flirting between friends?"

Jaune turned to face the girl only to find himself a little closer to the girl's face than he had intended. He assumed she had planned it exactly that way. Despite the intimate distance between them Jaune managed to keep his composure. "Just… stop. Okay? Even if you weren't just teasing me about this, it wouldn't happen anyways." He couldn't believe the next words that were on the tip of his tongue, but said them anyways not really knowing anywhere else to go with it. "Bros before hoes."

Velvet's lips pursed at the final sentence. Jaune considered it a small victory that he had gotten her to remain quiet for more than a few seconds. "Did you really just say that?"

"I…"

"Did you just call me a hoe?"

"I… guess so?"

She frowned. "Now that's just uncalled for…" The girl sounded sorrowful and she put on a pout and some puppy dog eyes. "Do you really think I'm a hoe?" Jaune swallowed hard, a sudden swell of guilt in his stomach. He opened his mouth to speak but rabbit Faunus he was about to console intercepted him. "Just. Go…"

With little else to do, and being caught out of his comfort zone, Jaune obeyed, moving to sit down beside Pyrrha again. As he walked away Velvet's façade dissipated and she eyed him up predatorily. _Have fun with people who deserve it huh, Jaune?_ Her gaze briefly met Ruby's and the younger girl quickly turned away, a shiver running up her spine.


	16. The Velveteen Rabbit

Ren exhaled deeply and let out a low hum of appreciation of his own cooking. Various spices blessed his sense of smell and he breathed in again before checking the time and whipping his head round to see his three teammates fast asleep. He cleared his throat and bounded forward, stopping by the bedside of his best friend first.

"Nora! Nora! Nora! Nora! NORA!" a grumble came from beneath the bedsheets as the redhead rolled over, wrist rubbing her eyes to rid them of sleep. The light assaulted her and she quickly squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face into her pillow, grateful that Ren had already left her bedside, but fearful of whose he was now at.

"JAUNE!" he jumped over to Pyrrha's bed mere feet away "PYRRHA!" Back to Jaune's "JAUNE!" back to Pyrrha's "PYRRHA!" He stopped halfway between both bouncing up and down excitedly. "COME ON! THEY'RE READY THEY'RE READY THEY'RE READY!" He heard the synchronised moaning both his teammates snuggling against their beds defiantly. "Guys, you'll miss the special occasion!" he argued, his voice slightly downtrodden but still upbeat, hinting at the depression being feigned.

Pyrrha turned over, humouring her partner. "And what occasion would that be?" She couldn't stifle a giggle as Ren threw out his arms dramatically.

"III MAAAADE PAAANCAAAAAAKES!" he sing-songed, his voice actually sounding almost angelic as he passionately and proudly sang the four syllables.

 _Classic tenor_ Pyrrha noted as she sat up in her bed, orange nightshirt displayed now that she had pushed the duvet down to her thighs. She heard Nora vocalise her exasperation, grumbling something about "one of those moods". Pyrrha, amused, decided to press the topic whilst her other two teammates adjusted to the light, or tried blocking as much of it out as possible, as they were. "I don't see a problem with this Ren."

"Look at the clock." Nora mumbled into her pillow. Ren returned to the dorm's little kitchenette area and flipped the pancakes expertly whilst Pyrrha obliged Nora, grabbing her scroll and unlocking it, using her birth date as the password and sighed upon seeing the time: 5:34am… and their first class wasn't until 1pm that day. Not even Pyrrha could excuse that…

"Barely half five, you're killing me here Ren…" she scolded, albeit slightly amused. He popped his head from behind the cupboard and gave a sheepish grin before returning to his cooking. Pyrrha turned her attention back to Nora, whom was still entangled in her sheets, pulling the duvet up over her mouse ears. "Well it could've been worse. We've been up at 5am before."

"There's also the cooking." The warhammer wielder batted back pointedly. Pyrrha raised an eyebrow.

"What about the cooking?"

Finally surrendering, Nora rolled over, her orange hair messily sticking out in a plethora of different and humorous directions. "It's bad." She stated flatly in response to Pyrrha, whom she was presently jealous of. Even messy hair came across as endearing for the spartan. Right now "psycho" accurately epitomised what Nora looked like.

"HEY!" Ren shouted defensively from the kitchen.

Nora submitted to his excellent argument. "Okay, let me rephrase that: Ren has this one-of-a-kind gift of only being able to cook food that he enjoys. Seriously, I don't know what his recipes are, but there's not a living soul on this planet, other than himself ofcourse, that has finished one of his meals."

Pyrrha chuckled again and threw the duvet off of her revealing a pair of red gym shorts reaching the middle of her thighs before planting her bare feet on the soft blue carpet and stretching. One last yawn and she was up and about, her first destination the kitchenette to flick the kettle on. "Well it smells delicious." She noted in defense of her partner and then began the short walk to the bathroom.

"Careful that's how he tricks ya. He's sneaky like that!" It was Ren's turn to laugh and the two members of Team JNPR that were closer than siblings shared smiles as Pyrrha headed into the bathroom.

"Well, it's a risk I'm willing to take Nora." The response she got was something about regretting that decision and, in the middle of closing the door Pyrrha nodded towards Jaune. "You're not really gonna let him sleep while you're up at the break of dawn, are you?" She closed the door and overheard the sound of Nora's pillow slamming into Jaune, and Jaune's frustrated grumble as he mumbled something about being up. She giggled yet again and brushed a wild rivulet of hair from her vision. She looked forward to Ren's breakfast… She should've listened…

* * *

"Weiss…" Ruby whispered, gently nudging her sister's shoulder. "Weiss…" she nudged her again and the older girl finally stirred, giving Ruby a warm smile as twinkling azure eyes settled upon bountiful silver. "Happy anniversary, I made you breakfast. Well. Technically I made everyone breakfast. But you get first helpings." Weiss laughed under her breath and pushed herself up to a seated position. Her younger sister placed a tray gently down onto her thighs and those azure eyes widened. Bacon, poached egg, grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, toast, sausages, beans and a hash brown.

 _Ruby learned how to actually cook something?_ Weiss mused before kissing her sister on the cheek in appreciation. "Happy anniversary, and thank you Ruby, but I told you that you didn't have to do this." She gripped the fork and scooped up a mixture of foods before popping the fork in her mouth. She moaned. _Ruby learned how to cook well?_ "This is wonderful! Where'd you learn to cook like this?"

Ruby counted the points on one hand whilst making the way over to Yang and Blake's bedside drawer. "I know you did, I never said I had to do it, just said I would. I was actually worried you wouldn't like it. And Girard did. You know Girard, right? He taught you how to fence. Turns out he's a chef on the side."

Weiss eyed Ruby curiously as the black and red themed teen slid open one of Yang's clothing drawers and rummaged around for a few seconds before pulling out a small box. One of Yang's shirts fell to the ground and was promptly ignored as Ruby made her way back over to Weiss whom was polishing off the last rasher of bacon.

"Oh and what's this?" she asked, taking the box from her sister.

"Open it and find out!" came the cheerful reply from Ruby and Weiss obliged her gleeful little sister, her mouth opening alongside the box that revealed a beautiful necklace A glimmering silver chain with a light blue snowflake pendant attached, Weiss' symbol. A beautiful red gemstone stood proudly in the centre of the delicate snow crystal.

"Oh my god… Ruby this is…"

"Definitely not too much for my big sis!" Ruby exclaimed happily, getting a sideways glance from Weiss, permission for Ruby to defend her case. "You're the world to me Weiss. I don't know, and don't even want to think about what my life would've been like if he hadn't adopted me. Thank you for that, Weiss. To me that'll always be a gift greater than anything I can give you." Weiss bowed her head, hiding a warm beam, her eyes drooping closed for a few seconds.

"You don't really think he adopted you because I begged him, do you?"

"I like to. It makes sense that he wouldn't want to take me in, after all I'm the reminder that he wasn't enough for her… and… it's nice to believe that a part of your father we know now still existed back then."

Weiss regarded Ruby with the usual fondness, the smile from earlier returning as well. It was an interesting thought, one that, for the life of Weiss, she couldn't and wouldn't dispatch. She had been searching for a reason her father would bother adopting Ruby back during one of his most malefic periods.

It made no sense to her at the time, and it scared the living hell out of her for eight years. Each day spent protectively watching over Ruby, confirming almost hourly that she still existed within the household and that her father hadn't done something unthinkably tyrannical with her. Maybe, just maybe, the reason she couldn't find an ulterior motive was because there wasn't one.

Perhaps he just wanted to give Weiss the sister she deserved, the sister she longed for that he could never provide. She regarded the necklace again, enraptured as much by the ruby as she was by her sister of the same name. "So how long did this take you to make?"

Ruby's eyes lit up with elation as she sat on the bed, Weiss shifting her legs over slightly to give her room. "Too long, even with Yang's help I barely finished it in time for today."

"My tomboy of a sister, the one allowed to design her own weapon, couldn't make an itty bitty necklace on her own?" she gave a mirthful grin. Ruby blushed at her sister's teasing and looked down.

"Shut up! There's a difference between forging something like Crescent Rose and forging delicate jewellery such as this!" The defense was weak, but then again she was defending against light-hearted joshing. Any defense would serve to push the banter forward.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I suppose Ember Celica and this necklace are similar enough that Yang could help you out? Hm?" The grin on the heiress' face was certainly eating something, and that something soon became a forkful of grilled tomato as Ruby shut her up the only way she knew how: by appealing to her elder sibling's always empty stomach. "Mmm." she gulped the food down. "Seriously, you're cooking more often."

Weiss giggled at an under the breath "Confound it." before being caught off-guard by Ruby hopping off of the bed and making her way back to the kitchenette. "Whelp, guess I better get these two up." The ball of Ruby's right foot pressed into the carpet, a nervous tick of hers before she turned back to face Weiss, bottom lip between her teeth and face flushed pink. "I'm glad I have you Weiss, I'm grateful for this life. I wouldn't have it any other way…"

Weiss gave a smile and reciprocated Ruby's feelings and the young girl disappeared into the kitchenette. Weiss looked at the necklace again and smiled before placing the box on her bedside table. Looking down to see a near empty plate, she polished it off and made her way to the bathroom. As she opened the door and slipped inside she cast a single glance to Ruby, slaving away in the kitchen merrily.

_Nice try Ruby, but we both have a better case scenario, and both involve our sister being back at home…_

* * *

It was yet another sunny day, a welcome observation since they'd be visiting The Forest of Forever Fall tomorrow. Nora hummed absently, an ever-so-slight spring in her step from seeing Pyrrha spit out Ren's food all over Jaune's bed. She was now headed to the cafeteria to order breakfast for her team.

More accurately she was walking through a beautiful garden, enjoying the intoxicating aroma of various flowers including roses, tulips and amaryllis and the warm heat from the Sun that batted away the cold morning chill. She briefly considered what she actually wanted for breakfast only to be interrupted by an arm pressing down across the nape of her neck, a friendly hand rubbing her left shoulder.

"Well hello there." Greeted Velvet cheerfully, pulling the redhead closer until she was practically hugging her. "I don't believe we've met. I'm-"

"Velvet Scarlatina," Nora noted confrontationally, finishing Velvet's sentence for her. "And I really don't care for strangers being this close to me…" Velvet snorted before releasing her embrace but maintaining the contact of her arm draped across Nora's shoulders.

"Aww, don't be like that. I was just wondering how you're doing. You seem a little distracted." Nora chose to blank the rabbit Faunus, continuing her trek to the cafeteria whilst trying to ignore the gentle caress of Velvet's finger now circling her shoulder-blade. "Come on, weren't you the girl who was all shy about getting a new partner? Might as well start making friends now, and I can assure I'm a very likeable and friendly person!" Still no reply and Velvet pouted only for it turn into a competitive smile.

"Okay, I guess this is about yesterday?" Nora sighed. "I'm gonna take that as a "yes" because I can practically feel the exasperation. Well look: I'm sorry. I just, I find it entertaining to see other people hurt." Nora shrugged. "I-I think it's a defense mechanism from when I was younger. You see I was a victim of bullying when I was younger, and it hurt, but it feels good to bully other people, and being a bully means you aren't being bullied. Does that make sense?" Nora pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. "Oh come, I'm spilling my soul out to you here. Don't I get anything?"

Nora shook away from Velvet; the girl's tender tickling of her shoulder-blade abandoned with her pressurising arm. Velvet gasped in a feigned display of surprise and hurt but Nora blatantly ignored it. "Here's the thing Velvet: I'm not exasperated over the Jaune incident, in fact I don't care about the Jaune incident. Do whatever you want to my partner: hit him, hurt him, sleep with him-I don't care. Just keep it between you two, okay? I have no desire of being dragged into _another_ Jaune Arc mess."

Velvet squinted, scrutinising Nora's form for any sign that she was bluffing. Eventually she huffed and Nora continued walking. She opened the door leading into the next building. She paused and turned back to face Velvet.

"As for why I'm exasperated: It's because I don't like you Velvet. From what I've seen of you, you come across as a racist, manipulative slapper and I don't need you trying to dramatise my life. You stay away from me, I'll stay away from you, and we can all be a great big, incredibly dysfunctional family. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to order breakfast for my team…"

Nora slammed the door a little harder than expected and stormed off. Velvet stared at the door for a few moments before shrugging. "Eh. Guess she's not the one I'm looking for…"

* * *

"Ugh… remind me where we're up this early?" droned Jaune squinting as the sunlight that had yet to warm the new dawn attacked his eyes. The harsh luminosity felt almost blinding to the future soldier whom was still in sleep mode. Ren gave him a playful jab to his shoulder.

"Because I made a kick ass breakfast for kick ass people!"

Jaune groaned, lacking the energy to argue back at that moment, the snarky part of his brain switched off along with the rest of it. Pyrrha nudged Ren's back with her shoulder earning his undivided, boisterous attention. "I thought it was very sweet of you Ren. Whilst your taste in cooking is indeed more than a little eccentric, it was a nice thought. Maybe leave the cooking to Nora though? I'm sure you'd agree she makes killer pancakes."

"Hey, err, Pyrrha?" Jaune asked. They were the first actually productive words he'd spoken since getting up.

"Yes Jaune?"

"Could we talk about the whole "Velvet" thing?" the blonde sounded cautious, unsure and very hesitant. Pyrrha briefly wondered what the source of the hypothetical egg shells was but stopped caring a fair bit into the muse and simply nodded. "Well… I was just thinking about how suggestive and, umm, intimate she got, and I can't help but wonder how you feel about it all…"

Pyrrha's eyes narrowed at that, her head craning to the right to look at him directly and her head tilting to the left as she curiously studied his form. "Why would I be affected by Velvet playing mind games with you?" The question was curt and straight to the point, Pyrrha's mind already looping back through recent events trying to find a single instance where she may have given Jaune the wrong idea.

"O-oh…" Jaune reached back and scratched at the top of his spine, just below the nape of his neck. "Uh… well. I thought you liked me, and it might have made you… I don't know… jealous…"

Pyrrha's expression softened, the curiosity and concentration gone, now replaced with a warm, apologetic smile and a look of rejection. "What can I say Jaune? I really haven't ever looked at you that way…" The blonde's face, expectedly, dropped and he sighed sadly. "I don't know where you got the idea or if you like me, but I don't look at you that way." She shrugged, a symbol of both her lack of experience and her current feelings towards the wolverine Faunus. "I'm sorry."

"Great!" Jaune exclaimed burying his dejection beneath bravado. "That's great. As long as you're okay with everything! I was just checking, you know? Covering every base; checking every possible affected party-that sort of thing." A nervous laugh betrayed the swordsman's façade, but that was far from the least of his worries.

A devious grin crossed Velvet's lips from across the courtyard. When the rest of Juniper, obviously absent Nora Valkyrie, stumbled out into the courtyard, Velvet was thinking up a way to isolate Ren and perhaps press him for information on the Arc kid. She felt like a kid in a candy shop when, out of the blue, he revealed that he had misinterpreted Pyrrha's altruism as romantic tendencies. _So Jaune likes Pyrrha, huh? Interesting… I'd even get to throw a monkey into the works between him and Nora._

* * *

Velvet sighed contentedly. "What a difference a day makes" was never a truer sentiment for Velvet than right now. Just yesterday she had decided to toy with Jaune and after a little silver tonguing she was inside Team Juniper's dorm room. The team that owned the room was absent, studying in the library according to Garnet. She'd gotten in with a simple bit of misdirection and a lot of unfortunately necessary stress induction on the Jaune's crush.

Once she'd learned of Jaune's affection for Pyrrha, it became obvious to Velvet exactly who she would be targeting in order to make Jaune squirm. During history class Shani had kicked up a ruckus, antagonising the easy to irritate Jaune and getting both of them held back after class. Velvet loved how easily Team RUST bent to her will, they were the very definition of conformists, no wonder they were so racist. They followed her lead simply because she was attractive. What would seventeen years of propaganda and real life near daily threats do to them?

She didn't dwell on such trivialities though. She couldn't care less about RUST unless it benefitted or, rather, entertained her. Instead she took the opportunity to talk with the self-isolated Pyrrha. The redhead was, as per her nature, waiting for Jaune whilst Ren and Nora disappeared. The conversation was initially surprisingly light-hearted with Pyrrha being more receptive of the shtick Velvet had provided Nora with.

But the Spartan was smart and quickly caught wind of her ulterior motives. Things became heated with Velvet pressuring the P of JNPR and things looked like they were going south until Velvet found a sore spot: Mention of Pyrrha's acing of her finals back at Sanctum brought out a little defense. A little, okay, to Pyrrha's credit, a lot of pushing later and she finally let slip that she lacked an aura. Velvet's mind immediately raced, settling on Combat Theory. Velvet never could've passed her gruelling final test in Combat Theory without her aura to protect her from a vicious, spine rattling blow during the encounter.

That was why Velvet was here right now, courtesy of a key slipped from Jaune's pocket during a forced and, for Velvet's stomach's sake, brief kiss. She scanned the room until she came across what appeared to be tell-tale signs of Pyrrha's bed. Red ribbon, orange discarded top, red shorts, she certainly didn't see Nora as the type to wear such colours and accessories. She rummaged around for a short while until stumbling upon a folder full of documents, a quick flick through found Velvet Pyrrha's Sanctum results. Results she browsed curiously with a fine-tooth comb until she found a Combat Theory Certificate… or two. _Lucky me…_ she mused as she viewed the A and the D grades respectively, a devious grin on her face.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Of Tigers and Rabbits  
**

"So what's the plan again?"

Velvet sighed, three fingers pressed against her forehead before sliding down to her temple. After a too-short massage they scraped down her cheeks down to her jawbone. She brought the same hand up, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. _I'm surrounded by idiots…_ she thought before turning to the offending dimwit. "Look Radley, I really don't have the time, patience or energy to explain this again. Just… follow Garnet's lead and don't screw up."

"Uh, right, whatever you say ma'am." came the reply from the racist bully, his usual confident and intimidating voice cracking.

Ignoring the slowest member of Team RUST, Velvet strolled over to the leader with a sensuous swing in her hips all the while. "I am right to trust you with this, right Garnet?" She tilted her head adorably, looking up at the team captain. She smiled at him, her eyes full of innocence yet her gaze burning a hole through him.

"Of course you can, I just-"

Velvet's expression dropped, a scowl replaced the cute beam and her eyes narrowed, now shooting daggers at him as well as trying to create two oval-shaped holes in his head. "Don't question me Garnet. Just do it. The Forest of Forever Fall is a Grimm Infested Area; people expect ruin to fall upon the place. Don't worry about what I'm going to do with Pyrrha, or why. Just do as I tell you..."

Garnet opened his mouth to retort but merely stumbled over his words. Velvet smirked and brushed the nail of her index finger's tip on her left hand across his stubble, tracing it down his side burns and under his chin. "Either you do that for me, or I find someone who will." Garnet gritted his teeth as he felt nails digging into his neck. "A team that isn't afraid to bite."

Dropping her hand Velvet's cold masquerade disappeared leaving her almost stoic. "Now get moving. Team Juniper's school trip begins soon; I want you in the forest before the Bullhead…" With wordless nods, Garnet, Shani and Radley all disappeared as quickly as they came, which was at Velvet's beck and call. The fourth member remained at his post, leaning against Velvet's dorm room wall, his blood-red eyes hidden beneath closed eyelids and his contrasting light blue swaying as he shook his head.

"Those three… sometimes I wonder exactly why Garnet is leader of Team RUST…" his voice was deep and filled with nothing more than genuine disbelief. No anger for Velvet's crystal clear manipulation, no envy that he wasn't leader himself and no disobedience either. Velvet's bunny ears twitched and she eyed up the man in a predatory manner before speaking, allowing him to keep his distance.

"I wonder that every day. You're not like them, are you Ulysses?" Her voice was sincere and curious.

Opening his striking crimson eyes, he used his back to push himself from the wall. "You wish I was. Then you'd actually be manipulating me…"

A sweet giggle escaped Velvet and she finally bounced over to the only member of Team RUST who was at all noteworthy in her opinion. "I'm sure I could, if I wanted to." She ran a hand up his arm and squeezed his bicep, he merely raised an eyebrow. Velvet pouted and took another step forward, her hand moving to caress Ulysses torso, he responded with a single chuckle and Velvet sighed. "You're no fun…"

"So a person is only fun if they're lusting after you? Even if that person's gay?"

Velvet's mouth hung open slightly, the comment catching her off-guard and throwing her off momentarily. She swiftly recovered and just shrugged. "That depends on whether or not I ruffled your feathers by saying that."

Bracing his forearm against her chest, Ulysses gave a gentle shove, pushing Velvet back to a less intrusive distance. "You did not." He spoke calmly.

"Dammit…" she replied.

* * *

The great kingdom of Vale, home to Beacon, watcher of Patch and one of the most formidable forces known to man, was a breath-taking sight. There was no arguing that its skylines were awe-striking and its gardens, both natural and artificial were undeniably beautiful. But there were three nearby locations, each one bordering the city that they eclipsed in vision, aroma and touch.

The first of these was a great ocean, its fierce waves the only thing separating the small island of Patch, home to Signal Academy, from the massive nation that tasked itself with maintaining a constant vigil of the comparatively defenceless mound of land. The second of these was Beacon's very own natural Eden: The Emerald Forest, a wild jungle in all but technical definition and a place of beauty and serenity lest someone desire the chaos that lurked deeper within. The third was not unlike The Emerald Forest, and yet its beauty far exceeded that of its sister. The third incredible sight of Vytal, within walking distance of Vale, was the Forest of Forever Fall.

True to its name, this greenwood found itself blessed by an eternal autumn, forcing the very nature of the wild plains to betray the implications of the artificial name that labelled it. The phenomenon went so far as to touch the leaves of the very trees themselves, everything that should have, by the very rules of nature, been green was one stunning hue or another of red, orange, yellow or the occasionally lively brown. Trees were constantly shedding their leaves, an unending earthly rain decorating the red carpet that was its grassy floor and the sky was cast a vibrant crimson, a sign of a great harvest that never came.

This forest was also the unique producer of Red Sap, a sweet viscous substance that was readily edible, easy to gather and remarkably tasty. Food wasn't the only application for the produce that overflowed infinitely from the many trees deep within the forest, but it was one of the most important for students of Beacon. Today, said students would be learning to gather the sap for research purposes and as part of learning how to survive out in the field. Lie Ren, leader of Team Juniper, was, suffice to say, very happy with this arrangement.

"Oh this is wonderful!" he cooed happily breathing in the intoxicating scents of the forest's many aromatic delights. "Mmm, all of it is so sweet! It reminds me of my cooking!" Pyrrha and Nora shared glances as they walked behind him. "Isn't it simply wonderful? The satsifying syrupy smell!"

"Wait a minute…" Pyrrha interrupted. The hyperactive boy turned to look at the redhead, completely pausing in what was tantamount to sap worship. Pyrrha narrowed her eyes as she questioned him. "How could this share the smell of your food? Your pancakes yesterday were sour and spicy…" The redhead blanched at the reminder of the offending foods that torched her insides and rendered her bathroom ridden for an entire morning. Ren chuckled nervously.

"Heheh… sorry about that." His hand found the back of his head, scratching an itch he never had three seconds ago. "I thought you'd like it because I do, and well-" Pyrrha's voice pierced the air, trying to grab Ren's attention. "The only person to try it who was kind enough to tell me it wasn't good was Nora" Pyrrha called his name again, but it seems he was intent in continuing his apologetic ramble. It was strange, he sounded almost like… almost like Ruby apologising to Weiss… "And I uh kind of don't have-"

"REN!" finally shouted Nora at the top of her lungs getting the boisterous huntsman-to-be's attention. Nora was chuckling at him, her head shaking in disbelief as a smile threatened to crack her features between laughs. He blinked twice.

"Her taste buds… Sorry what did you want Pyrrha?"

The girl being questioned, whom, unlike Nora, had the self-restraint not to giggle at Ren's incessant rambles, finally brought her hand up to her face. Ren scrunched his eyebrows as she let out several laughs, amused as always by her partner's antics. She didn't respond until she'd recomposed herself, her hand still covering half of her face. "It's okay Ren; it was my fault for not taking Nora's advice and avoiding free food."

Seeing that he wasn't in trouble, Ren cracked a smile, a wide beam accompanied by his own laugh and he gave his partner a thumb up. Jaune, who was walking several metres behind alongside Cardin simply sighed. There was no frustration there, nor contentment. It was more like resignation. This was his team, he just had to get used to Ren's zany character.

Glynda, regrettably interrupting the students' chatter amongst one another about the grandeur of the forest that surrounded them, turned to face those she had sworn to protect. "Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. But we are, unfortunately, not here to sight-see. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest which means you all have a job to do. I am here to ensure the safe return of each and every one of you to Beacon."

Hidden in amongst her teammates, Yang nodded, the usual tenacity and heart burning brightly in her lilac orbs. Beside her, Blake scanned the forest, ever alert and on-guard. "I don't like this…" she murmured as her gaze flickered over each visible treeline yet again. _I felt so much more at ease the last time I was here…_

"Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap." Glynda continued, ignoring the concerns of the learning warriors. "However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here by 4 o'clock. Have fun!" She turned away briefly before glancing back at her students. "And please stay safe…"

Ruby shifted nervously before getting a playful shoulder nudge from Weiss whom smiled. "Everything will be fine. It's just a simple gathering job. We'll be done and back here before you know it!" Ruby giggled and smiled back at her confident sister. Ironically, no matter how much Ruby attempted to play the aegis, it was always Weiss that brought feelings of security and safety to her.

"What are we waiting for?" asked Yang with a cocky smirk, the confident combat captain leaking through. "The quicker we get to the centre of the forest, the quicker we can get the tree sap. Once that's out-of-the-way, I can get back to sight-seeing." Blake brushed a stray strand of hair back behind her ear and nodded submissively with a small smile.

"As you command, my captain." She muttered with a sideways glance and a Cheshire smirk towards her friend. Yang actually rolled her eyes…

* * *

"Hurry it up! Team Juniper's almost here!"

"Just shut Radley, I'm working on it! You can talk the next time you actually have a use!"

"Just get on with it Shani…"

* * *

Team Juniper's forest trek had separated them from their friends, leading them deeper and deeper into the forest. Nora's eye remained trained on her scroll as the group walked, Jaune sticking a little too close to Pyrrha than would be considered normal considering the fact that Pyrrha had rebuked his advances just yesterday. Ren was leading the pack, his usual manic nature still managed to poke through his focus now and then causing him to overreact to every noise, suggesting that a Deathstalker lurked within the treeline… ignoring the fact that Deathstalkers weren't native to the Forest of Forever Fall… and that it would make its presence known before a hunter could announce it.

"According to the map Glynda uploaded to our scrolls, there's a grotto with red sap bearing trees not too far from here." Nora summarised absently, paying no mind to the forest around her. She had full confidence in Pyrrha and Ren. She was safe so long as those two stood alert and ready.

"Great. The quicker we can get some of this red sap, the quicker Ren can make us all never want to see it again." Pyrrha joked whilst her emerald eyes turned to the sky, remaining cautious of the aerial Grimm that patrolled the air of both the Emerald Forest and the practically conjoined Forest of Forever Fall.

"Hmm… we should be focussing, as ridiculous as Ren is being right now; he is right about one thing." Jaune spoke up, fallen leaves scrunching underfoot as they trudged deeper into the forest. "We don't know if anything lurks within those tree lines." Another sentence, another twenty feet; Nora remained transfixed by her scroll, just another click in the direction they were heading. "We need to remain alert who knows what kind of traps or ambushes we could-" Another scrunch as Ren, Jaune and the absent-minded Nora stepped into a line of trees, the grotto was just up ahead. A beep…

"RUN!" Pyrrha screeched at her teammates as she jumped backwards. The ground beneath every tree began to glow a bright orange, a few more beeps and each circle of light exploded. A shower of debris fell from the sky down upon Jaune, Nora and Ren as the entire treeline collapsed, sealing them inside the grotto...

"Is everyone okay!? Someone please speak to me!" shouted Pyrrha from the other side, her eyes wide and her breathing heavy as panic set in. She leaned in closer, her tiger ears perked up as she strained to hear something, anything. A series of coughs greeted her, much to her reilef.

"We're okay. Ren's just a little winded after protecting Nora, my semblance kept me safe…" Pyrrha breathed a sigh of relief and felt her pounding heart decelerate. "But uh… we're kind of trapped right now. Go get Ms. Goodwitch, we'll set about getting out of here ourselves and, if we do, work our way back to the rendezvous." Pyrrha nodded, going unseen by Jaune and turned away. "Oh and Pyrrha?"

"Yes Jaune?"

"Please stay safe…"

Crimson grass entered Pyrrha's vision as she cast her eyes down to the forest floor. "Will do Jaune." She responded before taking off at a run.

* * *

 _Come on; come on, where is she?_ It was now Pyrrha's eyes glued to the map on her scroll. She was racing through the forest haphazardly taking only glances around, hoping that her run would make it so that anything too hidden to notice at a first look would be too far away to pounce before she was gone. _She could be watching over Team ORNG, that is the weakest team on this trip… Screw it, I'll call her._ Taking a moment to rest against one of many thick trees, Pyrrha opened up the call menu and selected Ms. Goodwitch's emergency number. It rang, and rang, and rang, and eventually Pyrrha growled before hanging up. _Where is she!?_

"Oh, hey there Pyrrha!" A distinctly female voice purred. "Fancy meeting you in a place like this…"

* * *

Team ORNG cowered in fear, their team leader holding his injured partner in his hands as Glynda focussed on the Nevermore flying in for another attack. She felt her scroll vibrate, but ignored it for now. The swooping attack of the Nevermore crashed through several trees and Glynda back flipped to safety with the grace of an angel. The debris joined together into a single purple crystal and flew towards the offending, and offended, creäture of Grimm.

The Nevermore banked to the right, the crystal slashing across its iron like feathers and it turned back to face the teacher, letting loose a barrage of feathers. With a flick of her wrist, the crystal she had been manipulating split apart, each diamond like object piercing through several of the razor-sharp feathers and causing them to fall harmlessly to the ground. She dashed to the left, allowing the remaining spears to crash into the ground at her previous position.

Taking a deep breath, she extended her arm out once more, a pink light leaving her riding crop and following the Nevermore movements until the avian paused for another attack. It flapped its wing but, before it could fire off another feather shot, a vicious storm erupted overhead the sharp hail cutting into the beast and staggering it. It took a single moment for Glynda's next plan of attack to formulate. She stormed over to the impact point of the Nevermore's successful feather shot and manipulated the debris, forming another crystal spear and launching it at the Grimm.

Still struggling to recover from the hailstorm it found itself ensnared in, the creäture was helpless as the purple spear zeroed in, penetrating its chest and piercing its heart. It crashed to the ground and Glynda keeled over, bracing her hands against her knees and taking a breather before checking her scroll. "Ms. Nikos?" she questioned and raised her head to check on the four still alive members of Team ORNG. "Get back to the rendezvous. I need to check on Team Juniper."

"O-of course Ms. Goodwitch. Thanks for the help!" called the N of team ORNG gratefully earning but a nod from Glynda in return who had already set about hitting the call button for the redhead in question. No answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Team RUST:
> 
> Radley Roach - A sheep unquestioningly following Garnet's every move and the worst fighter in RUST. He wields dual shotels. Like Crocea Mors, these have no second form. To his credit, he has quite the powerful aura as seen by the mere fact that he survived what Blake did to him.
> 
> Ulysses Agana - The most skilled fighter amongst Team RUST, he's not easily manipulated but at the same time doesn't actually need manipulating. Like Velvet he's a Schadenfreude type. He's not quite as cerebral as Velvet, but he enjoys the fruits of her, technically RUST's, labour. Weapons not yet seen. Also gay, because why not.
> 
> Shani Analis - Whilst not the most skilled fighter he may be the most dangerous member of Team RUST. As you may have guessed, Shani is an explosive rune user and uses dust to change the element of these explosions. However ambushes like the one seen in this chapter are draining and take a long time to set up. Weapon not yet seen.
> 
> Garnet Taumerald - Leader of Team RUST and the human discriminators. He's the second best fighter, behind Ulysses, but is easily far more cerebral and a better tactician when sweet poison isn't being whispered in his ear by a certain rabbit faunus. Weapons not yet seen.


	18. Trial By Ursa!

That voice, that grating tone, she had heard it before, though it had never sent a chill down her spine in the past. Pyrrha whipped round, attention shifting from her scroll to the girl stood in the middle of the clearing, rocking herself back and forth from the balls of her feet to her heels repeatedly.

She appeared innocent, playful. Pyrrha knew better than to let the act fool her however and regarded the second girl with a steely tone. "…Velvet…"

The rabbit rocked forward once more, this time not flexing her smooth stomach to reverse her momentum causing it to take her balance. The rabbit Faunus fell forwards, gracefully catching herself and looking up at the taller girl. She didn't speak, causing Pyrrha to squirm a little, right eye twitching at the strange behaviour.

"What are you doing here?" Pyrrha asked keeping her voice low. There was nothing particularly accusing about her tone and she had no suspicions about the girl in front of her. But she also held no love for her, and had seen the looks she'd spared Ruby since the cafeteria incident two days ago. "You're not on this trip…"

Geniality was not something she was willing to offer Velvet Scarlatina.

Her response, a giggle, both annoyed and unnerved the redhead. Velvet took a step forwards and punctuated her laughter with a warm smile. "Oh Piri," Pyrrha grimaced at the pet name causing Velvet's smile to turn into a mirthful grin. "I have the next few hours free; I can do what I want during my own off hours… including letting my mind wander." Pyrrha suddenly tensed, a wave of unease washing over her, Velvet's voice had dropped an octave right there… "And I can't stop thinking about your revelation, you know, the 'not having an Aura' thing."

She stalked forward the last few feet, and actually had to stop herself from taking one of Pyrrha's crimson rivulets and curling it around her finger. "Answer me this Pyrrha," Emerald held chocolate remarkably well given Pyrrha's anxiety and discomfort. "How did you pass Combat Theory?" Emerald widened suddenly. "I mean, I'm not saying you couldn't pass the course without it, but I know that I'd have failed it. I'd have been in hospital as a matter of fact. But you can see why those two certificates in your suitcase seem _really_ suspicious right about now…"

Blood running cold, Pyrrha tried to maintain a steady tone. "What do you want from me Velvet?" She failed.

The cerebral mastermind ignored the question, offering one of her own instead. "Did you re-sit your Combat Theory exam, Pyrrha?" The redhead's gulp gave her the answer, but she'd always intended on finding out in her own way. She trotted over to a tree and squeezed some sap onto her hand. "You don't need to answer that, I have much more… fun ways of finding out."

Rather amusingly to Velvet, a roar immediately followed her words, as if on cue. The redhead's unease evolved into outright caution and concern, eyes scanning over each surrounding tree. A flash of black and unmistakable, electric blue caught her eye and, moments later, an all-too-familiar figure emerged from the tree line, pouring out a jar of red sap as he went… with an Ursa Major trailing not too far behind. She gritted her teeth. _Ulysses…_

Taken aback by the display of baiting, Pyrrha hadn't noticed Velvet cover the ground between them in the clearing. In fact she didn't realise she'd been caught unawares until she felt a sticky substance being pressed against her chest.

She jolted in surprise but actually found herself stilling as Velvet's hand cupped her right breast through her corset. She felt her stomach tense and inhaled sharply. With each touch came another smear of red and Velvet smiled at her poor victim's breathlessness as she lathered her chest in the sweet ingredient.

By the time Pyrrha finally found the wherewithal to jerk away, Ulysses had finished leading the Ursa Major who had already devoured the red sap trail Ulysses had left. Its attention swiftly turned to Pyrrha, whom was coated in a second helping. She cast a glance to Velvet whom was sucking her fingers cleaning of the attracting ooze whilst walking away.

"Eyes forward…"

Taking that as the warning it was, Pyrrha turned her gaze toward the beast that was already upon her. She reached desperately for her hoplon and managed to raise it to a guard stance right as the Grimm finished its cleaving swipe. Claw slammed into bronze, and Pyrrha felt her entire body being pushed back, sliding across the crimson grass.

The Ursa charged again whilst Pyrrha drew her xiphos, allowing her opponent to cover the distance. The Ursa swiped but Pyrrha evaded, hopping back a step and jerking her head and chest back further still. The next attack was a horizontal slash, looking to behead the tiger Faunus. She ducked beneath and delivered a slashing attack of her own, cutting across the creature's stomach. It appeared unfazed and merely backhanded the Spartan, the redhead bringing her shield to block just in time but still being pushed back yet again due to the sheer force of the blow.

She recovered some semblance of balance before the next assault and grounded herself to better brace against the incoming claw. Her balance faltered slightly but she held up against the attack, having the presence of mind, and ability, to bring herself parallel to its next sweeping attack and yet again bring Milo down upon the beast's tough hide.

It growled, whether it was at her or in the first display of pain, Pyrrha couldn't tell. Either way it returned the offense with a wild flail of its upper body, smashing its shoulder into Pyrrha whom remained airborne for several feet before crashing with a thud. Her body bounced after the initial impact and Pyrrha salvaged the situation, if only slightly, using her momentum to twist her body and land in a crouching stance.

Getting back to a stable base, Pyrrha saw the Ursa surging forwards; it'd be upon her again soon. She decided to meet the charge in kind, dashing toward the Grimm and performing a full revolution whilst swinging her sword out. Bronze clattered against bone and an agitated Ursa roared as the xiphos glanced off of the mask ineffectually. It lurched forward, tackling the Spartan to the ground before rearing up onto its hind legs and roaring.

Biting back the cry in reaction to being barreled into by an Ursa Major, Pyrrha pulled back her xiphos, she wouldn't have long. In fact, two paws were already coming down, threatening to squash her into the earth. She could see Ulysses draw his weapon, a very large throwing glaive out of the corner of her eyes, but he made no move to aid her.

Milo extended fully by the time Pyrrha had reached her hand as far back as it could. She was running out of the time, the beast was about to crush her. She jerked her arm forward, a shot blasted out of the end of the javelin, and the javelin sunk into the Ursa's chest. He growled in pain and staggered back and Pyrrha immediately reached for Akoúo before throwing it at the creature. It staggered again in spite of the hoplon pitifully clunking against the bone mask; it was enough of a distraction.

Pyrrha rolled to her feet and stormed forward, gripping Milo before yanking it free with a spurt of blood from the freshly made hole. The javelin receded back to sword form and Pyrrha kicked it up a notch, unleashing a flurry of lacerating blows on the Ursa.

It roared, groaned… wept. Pyrrha kept up her assault, a wide arcing slash carving a second slit in the Major just above the first before she brought the sword above her head and delivered a two-hand slice from shoulder to hip. The next blow nicked the upper left leg whilst the succeeding hit cut into its lower right.

Velvet had to admit: She was impressed. Pyrrha was performing admirably well against the fierce creature and was likely on the verge of killing it. Then again it wasn't like she actually doubted Pyrrha's skill, nor cared if she had cheated. That was business that wasn't hers that she didn't see entertainment in poking her nose in anyways, she only wanted to see Pyrrha squirm, and possibly further drive in the wedge that existed between Jaune and Nora.

Her bunny ears twitched and her head craned to the right. That certainly wasn't the Ursa Major… and sounded far too close…

"PYRRHA BEHIND YOU!" she screeched as two Minors bounded out from the trees. Pyrrha, still mid-assault on the Major, couldn't react in time, a claw sinking into her stomach moments before Velvet's words could register, shredding flesh as if butter. She screamed in agony as she left her feet and cried out again as the claw retracted from her stomach and she careened across the clearing, thudding to the ground and crumbling into pained crying, clutching desperately at her abdomen.

"PYRRHA!"

Velvet tried reaching for her weapon but found herself frozen, her previous panicked breathing reaching hyperventilation as she saw the grave danger Pyrrha was now in. She never wanted this. She wanted to poke the bear. She wanted to laugh at the temper tantrums that would spark between Nora and Jaune. She wanted to have Pyrrha wrapped around her little finger. She never wanted Pyrrha injured, with three Ursi now stalking over to her prone, whimpering figure.

Luckily, where Velvet felt paralysed for the first time in her life, Ulysses jumped into action, his glaive already embedded in the neck of the first minor. He pressed the button on the side of his weapon and the motor kicked in, whirring the four sickle-like blades at startling speeds. The chainsaw glaive severed straight through the beast's neck and its owner released his hold of the button before flipping away from the second Minor's flail and delivered a collection of precise strikes. With them down, he turned his attention to the Major, only for a cough to earn his attention.

"That Major is _mine_ …"

He turned to find Pyrrha, sword in hand, breath heavy, bleeding profusely from the gash across her abdomen, knees shaking and threatening to buckle and, above all else, standing. He gave her a respectful smirk before taking a single step backwards, gifting the injured girl her original opponent.

Velvet, on the other hand, for the first time in a long time, appeared visibly shaken and guilty. She also looked relieved. Ulysses briefly wondered why but kept most of his attention on Pyrrha and the Major. It growled gutturally before charging forwards. Pyrrha took up a defensive stance, allowing her vision to tunnel, her focus solely on the Major. She didn't move, suspecting that she probably couldn't run even if she wanted to. Instead she crouched, blade rising, and waited.

The seconds ticked down and, at the last one, Pyrrha stepped to the right and dropped her hips down. The rampaging Major bounded straight past her, her sword cut into the hind leg of the beast once again and, this time caused it to stumble forward. With his back to her, Pyrrha leapt up onto it, ascending the spikes.

It began thrashing around desperately, panicking as it tried to shake her off. She was resolute however, and her grip would not be removed so easily.

Shakily placing a foot against a bone protrusion, Pyrrha hauled herself up, hand clasping the spike of its shoulder. The flailing grew more intense, her bare knuckle grip holding up against the desperate panic of limbs that tried to throw off the redhead. Finally she rediscovered her balance and her xiphos was brought down beneath the beast's chin before a vicious cut lacerated its throat. It collapsed down dead, the fatigued, bleeding out and agonised Pyrrha slamming to the ground with it.

"Pyrrha!" Velvet called as she finally willed her body to move. She paused before getting even half way across the clearing however. There was an identical cry from a familiar voice.

"Is she going to be alright?" Ulysses asked softly. He didn't particularly care, but it seemed Velvet did despite her bravado. Velvet's response came with the return of her usual collected demeanour.

"She'll be fine. We gotta move…" Before her partner in crime could brook an argument, she had already wrapped a hand around his wrists and tugged him towards the treeline. He didn't bother fighting back and followed her unquestioningly.

Moments after their exit, the bushels opposite began to rustle, and from out of them stepped Jaune, followed by Ren, Nora, Glynda and RWBY. Their reactions varied.

Ruby let out a horrified gasp at seeing the state of her friend, the gouge in her stomach undoubtedly caused by the three dead Grimm that surrounded her. She felt her lip quiver and her eyes water at the sanguine scene.

Weiss didn't comfort her sister, first looking toward Blake for permission. Taking the dark-haired girl's turning away as a 'yes', she pulled Ruby into a hug, offering her shoulder as a means of drying the watery eyes of her baby sibling. Ruby took it gratefully, shielding herself from the sight before her.

Just because she was willing to do it, didn't mean she liked seeing it…

Blake's reaction was one of surprisingly subtle actions. Upon first seeing Pyrrha, she actually shot Jaune an accusatory glance despite there being no evidence to suggest he had a hand in the fate of his crush. With the initial death glare sent, she immediately turned herself to the task of watching the treeline for signs of movement.

Ren joined her in said task, Stormflower at the ready. He was in the centre of the clearing, giving him a clear line of sight on most everything bar the area behind the rest of the students, which was where they came from.

Jaune felt panic and pain set in. It actually _hurt_ him, _broke his heart_ even, to see Pyrrha in such a state. He rushed over to her side with a chorus of rambling with "No" and "Pyrrha" both making up the bulk of it.

Nora didn't allow Jaune near the redhead. Where the blonde wanted nothing but to help the bleeding, seething girl, Nora offered no signs of forgiveness if he moved without her permission. She fell to her knees near Pyrrha's head and gripped her hand, her friend and teammate squeezing it tightly, clinging to consciousness.

Yang was also by Pyrrha's side, already going to work on treating the wound to the best of her abilities, though without healing Dust there wasn't much she could do. She wiped away blood before it crusted, applied disinfectant, and even offered an arm, for lack of anything better, for Pyrrha to bite down upon. Despite breaking skin, Yang had no reaction, and didn't bother pulsing her Aura.

Glynda, the lone teacher on the scene, watched for a while, cracking a smile at seeing Yang, Ren and Blake immediately find roles for themselves. She cast a worried glance toward Ruby and Weiss, humming contemplatively to herself at seeing the scythe-wielder react so.

Turning away from the sisters, she found herself scowling at the interaction between Jaune and Nora. It was unfathomable to her why the pair just couldn't get along, and now Nora, as kind as it was to comfort Pyrrha, was rejecting her partner's aid. Finally, her gaze turned to Pyrrha… She said she didn't use Aura. To Glynda, that was fine... But, in cases like this, Aura activation was usually an instinctual reaction, no more preventable than sweating or producing adrenaline en masse during Fight or Flight.

"Okay students, I'm going to need some space to tend to Pyrrha. I want everyone on the perimeter, which includes you Ms. Rose." Walking towards the Spartan, she found Yang still at work and Nora still whispering soothingly to the undoubtedly scared girl. "You did a fine job Ms Xiao Long, but I'll handle it from here."

Yang spared her a glance before nodding and joining Blake by the northern treeline. Glynda turned to Nora. Words weren't shared, Nora merely mumbled barely loud enough for Pyrrha to hear through her current haze of pain and confusion. "I'll be right here Pyrrha, I promise, you're not alone. It's just… Glynda needs to do her thing… You'll be okay Pyrrha, everything'll be fine… I promise…"

She tried slipping away, but the grip on her hand tightened, begging her not to leave. She glanced back and saw the absolute _terror_ in her friend's eyes. Turning her gaze back to Glynda she saw the blonde give a nod and returned to Pyrrha's side, keeping as out the way as possible.

The clamp on her hand never ceased as she sat there on the grass, spare hand supporting her weight with her legs curled up to her thighs, watching her teacher treat Pyrrha's wound to far better effect than Yang had been.

The only thing she really heard was Pyrrha denying Glynda permission to do something with Aura… and there was of course her best friend bringing yet _more_ bad news. "Nevermore incoming, two of 'em!" Ren shouted before the shrill shriek indicated that the pair had also spotted the student party.

Jaune suddenly took up a defensive position close to Pyrrha... _Too close_ , Blake observed.

So did Yang apparently, since she was the one who barked at him, the scary commander nature in full effect. "Jaune you need to draw attention _away_ from Pyrrha! Staying in your current position may cause the Nevermore to aim Fatal Feathers in her direction, and I don't want to find out how quick Professor Goodwitch's reflexes are!"

"No," Glynda replied, voice unsurprisingly even. "I need Ms. Valkyrie and Ms. Xiao Long to help Ms. Nikos out of the Forest. Ms. Belladonna and Ms. Schnee scout ahead and clear any Grimm. Jaune Arc, Ruby Rose and Lie Ren, you stay close to Nora, Yang and Pyrrha. They may not be in a position to defend themselves…"

"And what about you?" asked Weiss, concern left bare.

The shriek of the overheard Nevermore foreshadowed her answer. "I work better alone. I can protect myself better than I could ever protect the eight of you. Now go, Pyrrha needs medical treatment, and I expect to see every member of Juniper in Ozpin's office for a debriefing…"

"Will you be okay?" this time the voice was Nora's. Glynda's response was immediate, absent confidence though that was due to discipline rather than fear.

"Perfectly. Now go."

Yang nodded. "Yes ma'am." Turning her attention back to her team, the blonde immediately set everyone to task. "Ruby, you and I follow Ren's orders to the letter. Blake, Weiss, you heard the professor, if there's a Grimm waiting for us I… err…" she petered out there alongside the textbook orders she had always been able to yell out at the top of her lungs. When she found her voice again it was low and shy. "J-Just do well, o-okay?"

Blake's chuckle wasn't suppressed and was immediately followed by a warm and genuine smile. "Of course captain, you can count on me." She waited for Weiss to give a simple nod, and a plea for Ruby to be safe and keep Yang safe before disappearing into the clearing, followed swiftly by her partner. Lie Ren sprang into action once Glynda was across the clearing, the Nevermore duo fully distracted.

"Okay, let's move. Though she won't like it, we can rest and enjoy life when Pyrrha's back at Beacon!"

"He's right… I don't like that…" Pyrrha whispered to the blonde and fellow redhead that helped her up.

"Me neither," agreed the warhammer wielder. "But I do want to see you safe and sound… Are you going to be able to walk or do we have to carry you?"

"Walk…" she groaned as she moved a few feet, each arm firmly resting across the shoulders of a somehow more physically imposing girl. "I'm losing blood not dignity…"

Nora giggled in response to her scared, shaky-legged friend and Yang followed suit, taking Nora's reaction as the socially acceptable one. And with that, orders from Ren to move out, and Glynda's audible growl of impatience, Team Juniper, Yang and Ruby took off after their scouting friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been kind of… completely absent the last two weeks (And sorry for not updating chapter seventeen sooner, I genuinely thought I published it up here, guess not). I apologise for that but real life just kind of snuck up on me. The last three or four weeks I've been re-thinking my entire future which is obviously pretty damn important. I'm still not 100% sure what's happening in September but I do now have an idea. Once I do know and I get some semblance of a schedule back in place and hopefully start regularly writing fanfiction again. That being said, I do have another announcement for this fanfic.
> 
> The chapter that will follow this one (and close up Pyrrha's arc) will be the last chapter of this fanfic for a while. Basically, V2 as flipped a lot of headcanon on its, well... head and I am not touching Penny, Sun, Roman or any Big Bad stuff until after then, once we actually know what is going on. If things aren't clear by the end of V2 then I may end up taking this in an original direction storyline wise and use the Alternate V1 as a way of characterising and initialising relationships as I already have been doing. Basically, I'll re-plan out where this goes in November after V2. Apologies for that but I feel it'd be erroneous to continue past this particular arc with such little information.
> 
> Anyways hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's a little… different. I'm looking forward to writing the next one (that I'll try and get up relatively soon, no promises though I'm afraid).
> 
> Right. I think that's all I wanted to say. So I'm gonna go now. Bye.


End file.
